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A Glimpse of the Gardens of Lawrence Park

© Lorraine Flanigan

For the last 15 years, The Civic Garden Centre in Toronto has organized a gardening extravaganza - the annual Through the Garden Gate tour of private gardens. In past years, Torontonians have peeked into the gardens of Rosedale, Hog's Hollow and Moore Park. This year, the focus is on the North Toronto neighbourhood of Lawrence Park.

With dreams of "glorious gardens" that surround "houses that are designed and built by men of taste and refinement", Wilfred Dinnick founded Lawrence Park Estates in 1909. That was the beginning of the present-day neighbourhood of Lawrence Park.

On the tour, behind the cedar hedges, you'll see contemporary gardens growing fence to fence with traditional ones and blowsy English borders skirting the formal bamboo screens of oriental gardens. Tickets are limited and sell out quickly, so call 416-397-1340 to order yours. The tour takes place on Saturday or Sunday, June 15 and 16, 2002.

To tempt you, here's a glimpse at some of the gardens on the tour:

From the deck of this North Toronto home, the vibrant blossoms of rhododendrons splash colour against a green tapestry of low boxwood hedging that encloses a formal garden planted with perennials, shrubs and trees.

A formal clipped boxwood hedge frames a flower-filled urn that is the focal point of this formal garden.

Statuary plays an important role in the gardens of this year's tour. This bronzed fellow dances above a pond placed in a secluded spot of the garden.

.Flower borders are ready to burst into bloom at this year's Through the Garden Gate tour.

Wanting seclusion and tranquility in the front of the house, this gardener designed a Japanese style garden complete with tsukabai bowl and a traditional deer scarer.

While in the area, you might want to stroll through some of the public gardens of Lawrence Park:

Alexander Muir Memorial Gardens: Yonge and Lawrence A heritage garden dedicated to the composer of The Maple Leaf Forever, this garden features stonework, formal beds and manicured lawns.

CNIB Fragrant Garden: 1929 Bayview Avenue Created by the Garden Club of Toronto in 1956, this garden is filled with the heady perfumes of hyacinths, lilacs, roses, lilies and heliotrope.

Edwards Gardens and the Civic Garden Centre: Lawrence Ave E. and Leslie St. Surrounded by the gardens of Edwards Gardens, the Civic Garden Centre is Toronto's gardening information center. Stop by and pick up a list of workshops and lectures, poke about the Trellis shop for great gardening gadgets or browse the shelves of the library.