You know the old saying, "April showers bring May flowers?" Well, it turns out May flowers bring hoards of tourists to the 6ix, especially during cherry blossom season. And who can blame them? Those stunning flowers look like perfect pink snowflakes when their petals fall to the ground. But, if you’re looking to avoid the crowds, we’ve rounded up 11 places to see blooming flowers in Toronto before cherry blossom season gets out of control. Depending on the weather conditions, cherry blossom trees can start blooming as early as April. If you’re lucky, you can make it to High Park before the throngs to sneak a peek of pink perfection. But if not, don’t worry. Toronto is filled with beautiful gardens, markets, and conservatories, some of which are open year-round so you can admire a variety of flowers in relative peace. Whether you want to visit old estate gardens filled with Victorian charm, or simply want to hit up the best floral markets in town, Toronto has you covered. So, if you’re ready to say "hello" to spring and all floral everything, then take a look at the list below. It’s never to early to start planning those flower-power adventures. Edward Gardens Price: Free Address: 755 Lawrence Ave. E., North York, ON Why You Need To Go: Here you can enjoy beautiful spring buds as well as rock gardens, wooden archways, bridges, a waterwheel, fountains, walking trails and more. Plus, with Toronto Botanical Gardens nearby, you can check both off of your list at once. View this post on Instagram Pretty in pink 🌸🌸 #summer #june #weekend #garden #pink #flowers #blossom #tree #bush #love #nature #toronto A post shared by Natalia Spirina (@natspirina) on Jun 1, 2019 at 2:42pm PDT Website High Park Price: Free Address: 1873 Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON Why You Need To Go: Now, High Park is sure to be filled with cherry-loving tourists. But, if you can get there early enough in April you might be able to enjoy gorgeous blossoms before the crowds arrive. It's all very weather dependent, of course. View this post on Instagram You can’t even tell that I was surrounded by a gazillion people when this photo was taken A post shared by Ilene Shioguchi (@ilene.s) on May 11, 2019 at 2:05pm PDT Website St. James Park Price: Free Address: 120 King St. E., Toronto, ON Why You Need To Go: You can enjoy stunning formal gardens bursting with blooms. There's also a cute gazebo and water fountain where you can stop and take a break. View this post on Instagram Ontem sai do St. Lawrence Market e procurei o parque mais próximo, só queria sentar na grama pra comer minha mini cheesecake e curtir o solzinho que tava maravilhoso, aí me deparei com esse jardim de tulipas! Ah... a primavera... 🌷🌼🌺🌻🌸 #toronto #spring #canada #stjamespark #vivendonocanada A post shared by Vivendo no Canadá (@vivendonocanada) on May 18, 2019 at 4:21pm PDT Website Centre Island Price: $8.19 ferry ride When: Ferry rides starting in spring Address: Toronto, ON Why You Need To Go: You can find some seriously stunning flowers here, plus a smaller, less crowded collection of cherry blossom trees. Take the ferry over and pack a picnic if you want to make a day of it. View this post on Instagram Still growing 🌱 Blog post is up! Changing My Mindset 💭 Hit the link in my bio to read it! 💕 A post shared by Brittany Priscilla (@brittanyypriscilla) on Jun 30, 2019 at 2:04pm PDT Website Toronto Music Garden Price: Free Address: 479 Queen's Quay W., Toronto, ON Why You Need To Go: You can wander the swirling trails lined with wonderful wildflowers and enjoy the fun music vibes along the way. View this post on Instagram Finding peace through magic✨. Is it even possible? I am here to tell you that yes, it is, but you have to get looking. What do you consider to be magical in this world? To me, N A T U R E is pretty magical. There is a vast amount of colours, shapes, and growth all around us, sprouting up from the earth. The energy when you are able to immerse yourself in nature is boundless. Can you believe this big, beautiful tree once started as a sapling smaller than me? Open up your consciousness to the world around you, and you will see there is literal magic right in front of your face. Here I am, in the middle of a city of 2.93 million people, and I have found my own little patch of peace and paradise. Take the time to breathe. To surrender. You will find the beauty around you. And then…. You can bring yourself into a place of true reflection, appreciation and gratitude. Thank you universe, for giving me the various opportunities over the last few years to bring me to this place. To this city. And thank you for bringing magical opportunities into my consciousness each and every day, such that I might find peace amongst the noise. #namaste #peace #reflect #meditate #nature #torontolife #torontolove #magic #yourdreamsareworththeeffort #grateful #gratitude #happiness #purejoy #the6ix #hiddengems #bestlife #getoutside #parksoftoronto A post shared by Emily Kait (@emilykaitt) on May 31, 2019 at 7:28am PDT Website Humber Arboretum Price: Free Address: 205 Humber College Blvd., Etobicoke, ON Why You Need To Go: You can get lost in 250 acres' worth of beautiful public gardens, and maybe even learn something new along the way. View this post on Instagram 🌸 A post shared by I K K Y (@ikranegal) on Jun 7, 2019 at 7:34pm PDT Website Toronto Flower Market Price: Free to browse When: May to October Address: 1001 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON Why You Need To Go: If admiring flowers isn't enough, you can score gorgeous take-home bouquets at this charming flower market. View this post on Instagram The best mornings are filled with dogs and plenty of fresh flowers . . . . . . . . . . #torontoflowermarket #mrsmeyersca #toronto #flowermarket #flowerinstallation #flowerinspiration #dogs #cockapoosofinstagram #cockapoolove #cockapoo #flowerseason #freshflowers #torontolife #flower #flowers A post shared by sarahavarell (@sarahavarell) on Jun 1, 2019 at 9:54am PDT Website James Gardens Price: Free Address: 99 Edenbridge Dr., Etobicoke, ON Why You Need To Go: A former estate, James Gardens is filled with spectacular stone pathways and lush flower beds for you to admire and explore. View this post on Instagram Summer colors at James Garden 🌷 #park #summer #tulips #summerevenings #summerishere #toronto #ontario #colors #tulips #blossoms A post shared by The Unhighlighted Reel (@the.unhighlighted.reel) on May 26, 2019 at 7:32pm PDT Website Riverdale Farm Price: Free admission Address: 201 Winchester St., Toronto, ON Why You Need To Go: If you love cute animals as much as you love flower, vegetable, and herb gardens, then you need to add this spot to your spring bucket list. View this post on Instagram Skipped church to hang at the farm with cool dad #sinners A post shared by Victoria Bouthillier (@victoriabouthillier) on May 26, 2019 at 3:08pm PDT Website Allan Gardens Price: Free Address: 160 Gerrard St. E., Toronto, ON Why You Need To Go: This gorgeous Toronto spot is one of the oldest gardens in the city, and its beauty has stood the test of time. View this post on Instagram Outside, but lik make it inside, ya dig? A post shared by meg:-))) (@meg.jthomas) on Feb 24, 2020 at 7:12pm PST Website Centennial Park and Conservatory Price: Free admission Address: 151 Elmcrest Rd., Etobicoke, ON Why You Need To Go: You can enjoy over 200 varieties of tropical plants all year long at the main greenhouse here. View this post on Instagram i rock, i roll, i bloom, i grow ! A post shared by "ah-lee-sis" (@alysisdavis) on May 16, 2019 at 4:53pm PDT Website
