Mark’s Choice Through The Garden Gate 2018 Garden Tour

I love being in the garden, smelling the intoxicating fragrances of flowers, listening to the wind blow through towering tree branches and watching Blue jays and cardinals flutter among the blossoms. When I got the invitation to attend the media preview of Mark’s Choice Through The Garden Gate tour of private gardens, I didn’t hesitate to accept. This annual event, which is now in its 31^st year, tours private gardens in different neighbourhoods of Toronto and raises funds for the Toronto Botanical Garden. This year, the tour takes place in Windfields Estate, just north of the Toronto Botanical Garden (located at Lawrence Ave. E. and Leslie St.).

Mark’s Choice Through The Garden Gate takes place Sat., June 9 and Sun., June 10, 2018 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s a great opportunity to see unique and impressive garden design in Toronto. There are 19 homes on the tour that are opening their gardens to the public. The tour is self-guided, but there is also a complimentary “hop on hop off” shuttle bus available along the route. There will be a Toronto Master Gardener stationed at each property to answer questions about the garden design features. From the tour, you’ll be able to learn:

• Which plants thrive in shade gardens;
• How to create a wildlife habitat;
• Ways to use colour to enhance your house;
• Which plants bloom all season;
• How to design your garden for a sloping landscape.

Once you’re finished the tour, be sure to stop off at the Toronto Botanical Garden, which is the headquarters for the tour, to see what’s in bloom at their contemporary display gardens. You can also enjoy a bite at the Garden Café or shop at the Garden Shop.

Did you know that the Toronto Botanical Garden has just received City of Toronto Council approval to expand into Edwards Gardens? The existing Toronto Botanical Garden will expand from four acres to 30 acres! Planning for the larger TBG site is now underway.

Have a look at some photos from the five properties we saw on our Mark’s Choice Through The Garden Gate 2018 media preview:

Tickets are $45 per person for a one-day pass and $65 per person for a two-day pass. Prices include tax. Purchase tickets at the Toronto Botanical Garden Garden Shop; Plant World at 4000 Eglinton Avenue West; or Sheridan Nurseries locations at 2827 Yonge Street, 606 Southdown Road, Mississauga or 2069 Burnhamthorpe Road East, Mississauga or order online to pick-up tickets at Toronto Botanical Garden.