NATURE |LIFE |CREATIVITY

A Haven for Tired Souls and Weary Eyes

Where nature is nurtured with care

Dr. Preeti Singh’s nature prompt was a perfect excuse to spend a day in a place where history meets nature, and for me, the best representation of that is the Toronto Botanical Gardens. A preferred natural refuge from the madness of busy city life and its overwhelmed chaotic systems. This gem sits in the middle of the city of Toronto (755 Lawrence Avenue East), away from the downtown but totally accessible by public transit. The garden’s mission is “to connect people with plants and inspire us to harmony with nature.” As soon as you enter the premises, the blooming flower beds, buoyant trees, and bustling staff members will transport you to a different world.

According to their website, Toronto Botanical gardens serve over 7,000 children and 10,000 adults every year, increasing their affinity to nature and answering all questions related to plants, seeds, flowers, and how to take care of them. There are award-winning facilities such as the Dembroski centre, which has a 24,000-square-foot roof garden, a library, a gift shop, and office space. A perfect location for events, especially weddings and receptions of all kinds.

Environmentally friendly spaces in the garden have won some awards, expanding its core message of encouraging and inspiring Torontonians to become close to nature. This beautiful facility is adjacent to the Edwards Gardens, a former estate owned by Alexander Milne. He had moved here in 1817 with his family and developed the area into a sprawling green oasis.

For a hundred years, the property was managed by different owners until Rupert Edwards bought it in 1944. Edwards transformed the property into an immaculate green haven laden with flowers, landscaped lawns, fountains, and trails. In 1956, the property was sold to the Toronto city council, but the garden became a public park, now a favourite destination for nature lovers.

Exploring the entire garden and its environs usually takes an hour or two. One can easily spend the whole day there by taking walks, hiking, sitting on the benches, watching people paint, or reading a book. The flowers, trees, small animals, birds, and insects provide perfect company if one opts to go alone.

These gardens holds a special place in my heart as it was my mom’s favourite place where she was happy to walk around even when she had dementia. Her face lit up, and the agitated state appeared calmer; no one could guess she was unwell. I could say that the place that made my mother the happiest when she was not herself would be an understatement. This quote captures my thoughts perfectly:

“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food, and medicine for the soul.” Luther Burbank.

It is also our favourite destination for birthday celebrations:

More than anything else, visiting this place relaxes the mind, soothes the soul, and teaches me to tackle the mundane with purposefulness and humility. I would like to end with this apt quotation.

“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all, it teaches entire trust.” Gertrude Jekyll

© Fatima Imam (All Rights Reserved)

This post is written in response to Dr. Preeti Singh’s prompt for her nature column in Reciprocal publication.

Sincere thanks to the editors of Reciprocal Dr. Preeti Singh, Sahil Patel and Yana Bostongirl. Today, I would like to give a shout-out to three posts:

Joyce Nielsen’s beautiful post about the Japanese Garden:

William J Spirdione’s fantastic visit to a historic garden in his hometown:

Josephine Crispin’s talk about the reciprocity in nature:

Forever grateful to everyone for your precious time and generous support. Stay blessed, motivated, and live your life to the fullest. ❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏

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