In 2015, Through the Garden Gate lets you peek into the gardens of Lawrence Park
Garden tours let us be the ultimate snoopy gardener, stealing ideas from exploring snoop-worthy OPLs (Other People’s Gardens). Toronto’s grand master of garden tours is Through the Garden Gate, the annual fundraiser for the Toronto Botanical Garden. Each year, generous homeowners open their gardens to us in aid of the TBG. And, by the way, when the Garden Bloggers Fling in Toronto brought nearly 70 garden bloggers from all over the States as well as the U.K. to the TBG this Sunday, they were blown away. Toronto should be very proud.
This weekend, June 13 and 14, 2015, we can show our pride and support with our feet, eyes, and with so many wildlife-loving gardens, even our ears, by attending Through the Garden Gate. New this year is Petals and Pedals, where you can do the tour by bike along with a Master Gardener (not just any Master Gardener, Sara Katz of Wild at Heart Design) and an architectural expert. Lunch is included. Speaking of which, this year you can buy your lunch at the tour, another nice new feature.
I love the fact that in 2015, in addition to the professionally designed gardens, many have been created and maintained by the homeowners themselves – perhaps more than in other years. This is stuff we can do! So come, snoop, “steal” and enjoy.
She’s certainly curvaceous. This is Hosta ‘Marilyn Monroe.’ It’s always great to meet new cultivars.
Not spoiling the surprise by showing you what the owners have created in their sunny side garden. Come see!
But here is a little surprise from another garden. Isn’t this a cool lawn alternative?
A plant-lover’s garden in shade, bumping right up against a lush ravine. Tweet, tweet!
Contemporary living space. On the press preview, it was easy to imagine ourselves lounging here.
A bit of Provence in the heart of the city. The rest of this garden transports you there, too.
Toronto Bike Tour founder Terrence with Master Gardener Sara, ready to squire you around the gardens.
What a great way to spend the day.
Helen Battersby is a gardener, a writer, a garden speaker, and a power-walker, not always in that order!
10 comments
We should have stayed on to see more beautiful gardens in Toronto! We had the best vacation ever, I can't thank you all enough for all your hard work and planing!
Thanks for coming, Laurin! So glad you had a great time.
Lucky you to have such a garden close by. I LOVE garden tours and it is high tour season here. Wonderful gardens! And generous gardeners willing to open them to the public.
Pat, during garden tour season it's often a case of "too many gardens, not enough time!" The owners who open their gardens really are generous – something we should never take for granted.
Yes we were "blown away", Helen, and you made it all happen for us. I loved this Fling and all the gardens we visited. Thank you and your associates so much for all you did with the arrangements, making the Fling such a easy and pleasant experience. I think Petals and Pedals would be a fun event. I saw the advertisement the other day and boy does it look good!
I hope they keep up the cycling version of the tour. Sunday's rain put a bit of a damper on at least one day of touring this year, unfortunately.
Indeed Toronto should be proud! The Toronto Botanical Garden really packs a terrific punch in such a small package. Fantastic folks there as well! What a fun garden tour…I hope it was super successful! Again, thank you for the wonderful Fling. You and your crew definitely know how to tour a garden! ~Julie
Thanks, Julie! So glad you could join us.
Thanks again for all you did to organize the Fling? Did you enjoy this year's Through the Garden Gate tour?
I saw it in Sunday's rain, Jennifer, but I did enjoy it. Some of the gardens were very interesting (albeit out of my price range in some cases), including some that were real plantsperson's gardens. Did you take the full tour?
10 comments
We should have stayed on to see more beautiful gardens in Toronto! We had the best vacation ever, I can't thank you all enough for all your hard work and planing!
Thanks for coming, Laurin! So glad you had a great time.
Lucky you to have such a garden close by. I LOVE garden tours and it is high tour season here. Wonderful gardens! And generous gardeners willing to open them to the public.
Pat, during garden tour season it's often a case of "too many gardens, not enough time!" The owners who open their gardens really are generous – something we should never take for granted.
Yes we were "blown away", Helen, and you made it all happen for us. I loved this Fling and all the gardens we visited. Thank you and your associates so much for all you did with the arrangements, making the Fling such a easy and pleasant experience. I think Petals and Pedals would be a fun event. I saw the advertisement the other day and boy does it look good!
I hope they keep up the cycling version of the tour. Sunday's rain put a bit of a damper on at least one day of touring this year, unfortunately.
Indeed Toronto should be proud! The Toronto Botanical Garden really packs a terrific punch in such a small package. Fantastic folks there as well! What a fun garden tour…I hope it was super successful! Again, thank you for the wonderful Fling. You and your crew definitely know how to tour a garden! ~Julie
Thanks, Julie! So glad you could join us.
Thanks again for all you did to organize the Fling? Did you enjoy this year's Through the Garden Gate tour?
I saw it in Sunday's rain, Jennifer, but I did enjoy it. Some of the gardens were very interesting (albeit out of my price range in some cases), including some that were real plantsperson's gardens. Did you take the full tour?