Toronto Botanical Garden

About

The Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) is located at 777 Lawrence Avenue East at Leslie Street, in Toronto, Ontario. Termed "The little garden with big ideas", the TBG is nearly four acres and features 17 themed "city-sized gardens".^[1] TBG's mission is to connect people, plants and the natural world through education, inspiration and leadership.^[2]

History

Formerly the Toronto Civic Garden Centre, the TBG opened formally with the designation of a botanical garden in 2003. Located in the north-east corner of Edwards Gardens, the TBG

Funding

Unlike many other large botanical gardens in North America, the TBG does not receive funding from the provincial or federal governments, and it produces over 95% of its operating budget from self-generated income through membership fees, fundraising events, course revenues, and from the generosity of individual and corporate donors.

The Gardens

Approximately four acres make up the gardens of the Toronto Botanical Garden, which consists of 17 themed gardens. The newest, and largest, addition is the Woodland Walk made up of native trees, shrubs, perennials, and a wildflower meadow, representing the Carolinian forest and prairie savannah native to this region of Toronto. Next is the impressive Entry Garden, sponsored by the Garden Club of Toronto, designed by Plantsman Piet Oudolf of The Netherlands. This garden is made up of perennials & ornamental grasses which have self-sown to create the sophisticated meadow that greets visitors along the Entry Garden Walk. The TBG, although small in acreage, has a number of plant collections including hellebores, and bulbs. A water curtain and water channel, are two key features complimenting the Arrival Courtyard and West View Terrace, respectively. The Building has two green roofs, one flat space planted with native perennials, the other slanted and planted with sedum varieties. Part of the TBG’s Silver LEED Certification^[3] includes the collection of rainwater from the water features as well as the building, which is stored in two cisterns found in the perennial borders. Garden staff work from a straw bale shed also with a green roof of native perennials.

Adult Education

Children's Education

Since 1998, Toronto Botanical Garden has offered a variety of programs designed to stimulate children’s curiosity about nature and gardening through hands-on experiences. Each year TBGKids educates over 6000 children through school visits, summer and march break camps, family programs, and outreach initiatives. Children learn in the beautiful and unique Teaching Garden which incorporates demonstration plots and an organic vegetable garden sown and harvested by children. The TBG donates produce from the Teaching Garden each year to the North York Harvest Food Bank.^[4]

Weston Family Library

The TBG's Weston Family Library is the largest private horticultural library in Canada.(FOOTNOTE)The library's resources surround the theme of domestic horticulture, such as landscape design, flower arrangement, plant species, growing herbs and vegetables, urban agriculture, and many others. Collections include children's titles, reference materials, magazines and journals, DVDs, and historical and rare books. Only members may borrow materials from the Weston Family Library, but the space is open to the public and anyone is allowed to browse and use materials within the library. The library offers courses and programming for adults and children, and features an art gallery with rotating exhibitions with horticultural themes.

Sources