Allan Gardens Conservatory is my favorite retreat from the hum drum of corporate life. It is a serene oasis jewelled right in the middle of the busy Carlton, Jarvis and Gerrard streets of Toronto. The garden that hosts conservatory has long stretches of green grass and more than 300 old trees. Some noticeable species are sugar maple, American beech and red oak.

The conservatory consists of six greenhouses that cover 1, 6000 square feet and house a huge variety of tropical, sub-tropical and exotic plants that are rare to find under one roof.
While crossing through the greenhouses you actually move from one climate to another and experience a whole new world of lovely plants in each climate. Neat pathways edge along plant beds that are nicely maintained.

The tropical houses maintain warm and humid environment for exotic Orchids, bromeliads, begonias and other plants that bloom year-round. You can find many hard-to-find plants like Jade vine, Platycerium, cycads, and some exotic foliage plants. The water features inside the tropical houses not only decorate the conservatory but also help maintain the climate.

The ‘cool’ house has selection of Mediterranean plants. The Palm House grows a nice variety of palms, tropical vines and some seasonal plants. The arid house showcases cacti and other succulents that include varieties of haworthia, aloe, agave, and sedum.

Besides permanent collection, you can see a nice collection of seasonal bloomers in Allan Gardens Conservatory. Depending on the season, you can find really nice variety of hydrangeas, lilies, coleus, caladiums, cannas, chrysanthemum, and poinsettia. Seasonal plants at Allan Gardens are grown in pots that are sunk in soil – making it easy to remove them at the end of the season.

On my recent visit to Allen Gardens, I was able to see Jade vine and angel’s trumpet in full bloom. Other noticeable bloomers were daffodils, gerberas, plenty of hydrangeas, some hoyas, bird of paradise, and foxgloves.

Allan Gardens Conservatory has a nice collection of ferns and air plants too. No matter what part of year you visit Allan Gardens, you will always find something interesting, colorful and aromatic.

Enjoy some of the pictures that I shot at Allan Gardens Conservatory. For high-resolution images, you can visit my Allan Gardens album on Flickr here. For more information on Allan Gardens, see this.