Allan Gardens
Encyclopedia
Allan Gardens is one of the oldest parks in Toronto
, Canada
. It has a conservatory (greenhouse)
, a playground and two fenced off-leash areas for dogs. It is operated by Toronto Parks
who also run Centennial Park Conservatory
. It is open every day of the year and is free.
, datura
and a cycad
. The Cactus House has a wide variety of cacti
and succulents.
In February, the Cool House begins the transition from winter to spring by showcasing a wide array of spring flowering bulbs like hyacinths, crocus and pushkinias and colourful cool crops like cineraria and primula. For Easter, the dome is filled with blue and pink hydrangeas and Easter lilies.
On the first weekend in November, the Fall Show features over 75 varieties of Chrysanthemums.
greenhouse (1931) was relocated to Allan Gardens, connected to the Arid House and is now used as a children's conservatory. It was previously a greenhouse for the Department of Botany at the University of Toronto's St. George Campus.
Symmetry is also evident when the conservatory is viewed from above in the similar geometrical shapes of the north/south greenhouses and the diagonal paths on the site directed from the two intersections on Sherbourne St. The garden's prominent feature of contrast is clear when observing the materials used on the building's exterior and in the interior. Stone tile cladding and light coloured wood are used on the main façade of the Palm House. Another example of contrasting materials can be seen in the tropical greenhouse, where the same wall was constructed with tree logs on one side and stucco on the other.
, President of the Society, one-time Mayor of Toronto and long-time Senator
in 1857. The park was known as the 'Botanical Gardens' and the 'Horticultural Gardens'. It was opened by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, on September 11, 1860. The Park was renamed "Allan Gardens" when George Allan died in 1901.
The trees in the park represent the northern tip of the Carolinian forest with species such as black cherry, American beech, red oak, sugar maple and sassafras. Most are over one hundred years old. The park is home to three varieties of squirrel, the gray, the black, and, unique to this park, the red tailed black squirrel. The park is also home to the city's largest flock of pigeons, a roving peregrine falcon and a statue of Robert Burns
.
Allan Gardens is bounded by Jarvis Street
on the West, Sherbourne Street on the East, Carlton Street on the North and Gerrard Street East on the South in Toronto's Garden District.
The gardens are served by College
Station on the Toronto Transit Commission
's Yonge-University-Spadina line
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It has a conservatory (greenhouse)
Conservatory (greenhouse)
A conservatory is a room having glass roof and walls, typically attached to a house on only one side, used as a greenhouse or a sunroom...
, a playground and two fenced off-leash areas for dogs. It is operated by Toronto Parks
Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division
The City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division is the division of the Toronto municipal government responsible for city-owned parks, forests, and recreation centres...
who also run Centennial Park Conservatory
Centennial Park Conservatory
Centennial Park Conservatory is a conservatory in Toronto, Canada. It consists of three greenhouses and of plants including a cactus house, a tropical house and a show house which features seasonal displays. It is located in Centennial Park, in the former City of Etobicoke. This conservatory is...
. It is open every day of the year and is free.
Conservatory
Rare tropical plants from all over the globe are nurtured inside five greenhouses covering 16,000 square feet. The southern “Tropical House” has a waterwheel and tropical plants like orchids and bromeliads. The “Cool House” has a waterfall, Kashmirian Cypress, small pond and citrus trees. The central Palm House houses tall bananas, bamboo and a huge Screw Pine. Another tropical house has many kinds of hibiscusHibiscus
Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world...
, datura
Datura
Datura is a genus of nine species of vespertine flowering plants belonging to the family Solanaceae. Its precise and natural distribution is uncertain, owing to its extensive cultivation and naturalization throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the globe...
and a cycad
Cycad
Cycads are seed plants typically characterized by a stout and woody trunk with a crown of large, hard and stiff, evergreen leaves. They usually have pinnate leaves. The individual plants are either all male or all female . Cycads vary in size from having a trunk that is only a few centimeters...
. The Cactus House has a wide variety of cacti
Cacti
-See also:* RRDtool The underlying software upon which Cacti is built* MRTG The original Multi Router Traffic Grapher from which RRDtool was "extracted".* Munin -External links:******...
and succulents.
Seasonal shows
During the Victorian Christmas Show, the conservatory is decorated and filled with thousands of flowering plants and over 40 different varieties of Poinsettias. The opening on the first Sunday in December features Christmas carollers, horse and wagon rides, hot apple cider and freshly baked cookies. The show runs until the end of December and the conservatory is opened late on weekends and can be viewed by candlelight.In February, the Cool House begins the transition from winter to spring by showcasing a wide array of spring flowering bulbs like hyacinths, crocus and pushkinias and colourful cool crops like cineraria and primula. For Easter, the dome is filled with blue and pink hydrangeas and Easter lilies.
On the first weekend in November, the Fall Show features over 75 varieties of Chrysanthemums.
History
In 1879, the Pavilion Hall was built. It included a glass conservatory and was also used for concerts and social events. Oscar Wilde gave a lecture here in May 1882. The Hall burned down in 1902. It was replaced by the existing Victorian style conservatory known as the Palm House in 1910. This was designed by former City Architect Robert McCallum. Toronto Architects Mathers and Haldenby, Lord and Burnham Company, and Nexus Architects were also involved. The Cool House was added in 1924 and the northern Tropical House in 1956. The Arid (Cactus) House and the southern, double-width Tropical House were moved from Exhibition Park in the 1950s. The University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
greenhouse (1931) was relocated to Allan Gardens, connected to the Arid House and is now used as a children's conservatory. It was previously a greenhouse for the Department of Botany at the University of Toronto's St. George Campus.
Building design
The building design emphasizes the use of repetition, symmetry and contrast. Steel supports. such as framing and trusses. and translucent glazing are used throughout. Symmetry is evident when viewing the building on the ground plane, towards the main entrance of the Palm House. Two main entrances are situated on the south and the north side of the main façade with alike ornamentation above the entry doors. The same materials are used for both entrances with a repetitive pattern of wood-framed glazing in the space between the doors.Symmetry is also evident when the conservatory is viewed from above in the similar geometrical shapes of the north/south greenhouses and the diagonal paths on the site directed from the two intersections on Sherbourne St. The garden's prominent feature of contrast is clear when observing the materials used on the building's exterior and in the interior. Stone tile cladding and light coloured wood are used on the main façade of the Palm House. Another example of contrasting materials can be seen in the tropical greenhouse, where the same wall was constructed with tree logs on one side and stucco on the other.
Park
The garden and the main part of the property were donated to the Toronto Horticultural Society by George William AllanGeorge William Allan
George William Allan, was a Canadian politician. His mother Leah Tyrer, daughter of Dr. John Gamble, married Hon. William Allan, of York , U.C. Allan's father, William, was a pioneer who settled what was then the Township of York during John Graves Simcoe's term as Governor...
, President of the Society, one-time Mayor of Toronto and long-time Senator
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
in 1857. The park was known as the 'Botanical Gardens' and the 'Horticultural Gardens'. It was opened by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, on September 11, 1860. The Park was renamed "Allan Gardens" when George Allan died in 1901.
The trees in the park represent the northern tip of the Carolinian forest with species such as black cherry, American beech, red oak, sugar maple and sassafras. Most are over one hundred years old. The park is home to three varieties of squirrel, the gray, the black, and, unique to this park, the red tailed black squirrel. The park is also home to the city's largest flock of pigeons, a roving peregrine falcon and a statue of Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
.
Allan Gardens is bounded by Jarvis Street
Jarvis Street
Jarvis Street is a north-south thoroughfare in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, passing through some of the oldest developed areas in the city. Its alignment extends from Bloor Street in the north to Queens Quay East in the south. South of Front Street, it continues as Lower Jarvis Street...
on the West, Sherbourne Street on the East, Carlton Street on the North and Gerrard Street East on the South in Toronto's Garden District.
The gardens are served by College
College (TTC)
College is a subway station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the Toronto, Ontario, Canada subway that opened in 1954. It is located at 448 Yonge Street at College Street/Carlton Street.-Entrances:...
Station on the Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
's Yonge-University-Spadina line
Appearances in popular culture
- Several episodes of Kenny vs. SpennyKenny vs. SpennyKenny vs. Spenny is a Canadian comedy reality television series about Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice, who face each other in various competitions. The loser of the episode must perform an act of humiliation, usually selected by the winner. Hotz and Rice helped create the series, and it was typically...
featured the park. - Atom Egoyan's 2010 film ChloeChloe (film)Chloe is a 2009 erotic thriller directed by Atom Egoyan, a remake of the 2004 French film Nathalie.... This version stars Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, and Amanda Seyfried in the title role...
features a scene shot inside the conservatory. - Several scenes from the 1968 television film adaption of Robert Louis StevensonRobert Louis StevensonRobert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
's novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde were filmed in the conservatory. - The music video for 'Shelter' by Bedouin SoundclashBedouin SoundclashBedouin Soundclash is a Canadian band currently based in Toronto. Their sound can be described as reggae and ska.-History:The band's current lineup consists of vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, and bassist Eon Sinclair with Sekou Lumumba on drums. Their debut album, Root Fire, released in 2001...
was shot inside the conservatory.