Horticultural Avenue

Despite the snow covered ground, the weather beaten trees and the predominantly monochrome plant life in the city, Allen Gardens offers a refreshingly humid and colourful retreat all year round.

Founded in 1858, Allen Gardens Conservatory is one of the city’s oldest parks and houses an extensive collection of exotic tropical plant life. I took the above photograph in the main conservatory’s palm house: below the Victorian domed glass ceiling are the large, flat leaves of the banana plant.

Extending out from the back of the palm house is the aptly named cactus room, exhibiting a collection cacti and succulents from all over the world.

Turtles swimming in the fountain (above) and Jess and Danny in the palm house (below).

It’s free, it’s warm and it’s right in the centre of Downtown Toronto; on a street called Horticultural Avenue - what’s not to love?