Allan Gardens is open 365 days a year and it’s actually free to go into. It’s also been around way longer than you’d probably expect. In 1858, George Allan (who was a local politician) gave the Toronto Horticultural Society five acres of land to develop a garden that would be open to the public. They did this, and about 6 years later the City of Toronto bought it and maintained the garden ever since.
The gardens have 16,000 square feet that are home to six different greenhouses, so you can only imagine how many different kinds of plants and flowers there are on the site! One of the greenhouses, the Arid House, is dedicated to cacti and succulents, while the Tropical Landscape House is filled with exotics. There is also the Cool Temperate House and two Tropical Houses there as well. Finally, the Palm House is the greenhouse which really acts as the centrepiece for the whole gardens. The beautiful greenhouse was built in 1910 and is home to palms, bananas, and tropical vines.
One of the best times to visit Allan Gardens is during one of their five flower shows throughout the year. They host one in the spring, summer, and fall, one at Easter, and another at Christmas. Each show highlights different seasonal flowers is as you can imagine is a sight to see! You can catch the Summer Show starting in June. Can’t wait!
Cover photo via Brandy on Flickr
