5 seasonal blooms to chase in the GTA
Living in Southern Ontario, we reap the benefits of spectacular seasonal blossoms. Big S and Lil S love day trips to the different flower farms in the area, and hiking (well, we hike – they climb trees or play hide and seek) to take in the fragrant flowers that bloom throughout the spring/summer. There are also many local festivals celebrating the flowers grown in the region. Whether you’re looking for a nice nature walk or the perfect Instagram spot, you don’t need to be a horticulturist to enjoy a good bloom.
The downside of getting to enjoy all these different flowers is trying to keep track of when things are blooming and where to see them. Some flowers have multiple blooms, while others only flowers for a few days (cherry blossoms season is notoriously short). After years of living in the area, we’ve compiled a list of 5 seasonal blooms to chase in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Perfect for your next day trip. If you’re visiting these parts of Ontario at these times, you’re in for a treat! 😉
1) Sakura/Cherry blossoms (and magnolia) in the spring
These flowers both bloom early spring. Magnolia is more ubiquitous to the region, while cherry blossoms are more rare and require a little more effort and planning to catch.
To me, magnolia trees blooming is the very definition of the arrival of spring. In south Ontario, Magnolias blossom from late April and throughout May, depending on the variety. You can find them in public gardens and parks and on front lawns.
Cherry blossoms are a little more (okay, way more) finicky. They bloom in a very short window usually between the end of April and the first two weeks of May. If we’re lucky and there’s no rain, they may bloom for a good two weeks, but it’s highly dependent on the year and the weather. In 2016, there was almost NO bloom! You can keep up with the sakura forecast here. But the blooms are *gorgeous*, and it’s worth the effort to catch.
Our top 4 suggestions of where to see sakura in the GTA are:
High Park, Toronto
This urban park in Toronto is the most renowned and best place to see cherry blossoms in the GTA. There are over 50 trees, and it is just spectacular when they are all in bloom. However, it can also get very crowded, and parking is a nightmare (on weekends, High Park no longer allows cars to drive through the park, so you need to find street parking). If you’re planning a trip to High Park at peak bloom, be sure to arrive early!
Spencer Smith Park, Burlington
Spencer Smith is a great place to catch cherry blossoms. Right along the Burlington waterfront, there is a short sakura “trail” (pathway) lined with cherry trees. This park is great for families and kids, with tons of green space and a great playground, and you can combine your sakura visit with a walk along the waterfront. There is limited parking on site, but several city parking lots nearby.
Niagara Park Botanical Gardens, Niagara Falls
This would make a great day trip from Toronto. We’ve actually never caught the cherry season here, but they have rows of cherry trees that would look spectacular. There is so much green space here, and it’s also right next to the Butterfly Conservatory. What is more, access to the gardens is free (at least, at the time of writing)! You do need to pay for parking. You can finish the day with a trip into Niagara Falls or visit one of the wineries by Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton
Because this location is most convenient for us, we catch sakura season here most years. The RBG website has its own What’s in Bloom page so you can keep an eye out for when the trees are in peak bloom. There are multiple spots to catch cherry blooms, but the Arboretum has the most. Even still, the trees are more scattered than the places listed above. You do need to pay for entrance. The RBG is a conversation area, and there are a number of hiking trails to enjoy. The Arboretum also has a large magnolia collection, although only the early varieties will be in bloom during peak cherry season.
2) Lilacs
Lilacs are another one of those ubiquitous blooms that can be found all over Ontario in the springtime – usually in late May/early June. They’re a popular garden shrub, and quite hardy. (I have no green thumb to speak of, but we had to cut down a lilac bush at the edge of our yard some years ago while landscaping, and said bush grew back on the *other side* of the fence!) But there’s nothing quite as enchanting (or fragrant!) as wandering through an entire garden of lilacs.
The two best places to see lilacs in bloom around the GTA are the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens (over 1200 bushes) and the Royal Botanical Gardens (over 700 bushes). Once again, I have to admit we’ve never seen the Niagara lilacs in bloom (we always seem to visit in the summer), but we make sure every year to hit up the Lilac Dell at the Royal Botanical Gardens’ Arboretum.
You can also catch the Lilac Festival in Warkworth, 90 minutes east of Toronto. Activities run throughout the month of May, and you can hike the 2.6 Millennium Lilac Trail.
3) Lavender
Visiting a lavender farm will transport you out of Ontario and straight into Provence, France. Lavender starts blooming around the end of June and through the month of July. Wandering between rows of lavender is a whimsical experience and makes for a great photo op. In fact, many farms will offer special photography opportunities during this time of year. You can also stock up on everything lavender, from skincare to home products, and is a great way to support local!
We feel that of all the blooms on this list, chasing lavender may be more of a couples experience (perfect for a date) than a family outing. Many offer wine experiences that pair perfectly after a relaxing gander through the lavender fields.
Terra Blue, arguably the most popular lavender farm in the GTA, located in Milton, ON, sadly closed post-COVID (although they may open a new location in the future). An alternate farm you can visit in Milton is Kelso Lavender, a little family-run spot with an attached shop selling lavender products.
A little further out in Niagara-on-the-Lake, you can find Niagara Essential Oils and Blends. Traveling toward Southwest Ontario, check out The Lavender Farm (we attended a gorgeous barn wedding here one year!) in Ayr, or make a day trip out to Apple Hill Lavender or Bonnieheath Estate Lavender and Winery in Norfolk County.
4) Sunflowers
This is hands down Big and Lil S’s favourite – nothing says summer like a field of sunflowers.
Depending on the location, sunflower fields bloom sometime between late July into early September, and may have a second bloom into October.
Notable sunflower fields around the GTA include:
Lakeview Village, Mississauga
A part of a nature restoration project, Lakeview Village on the Mississauga waterfront boasts a field of 1 million sunflowers with the goal of brining back native pollinators. This is a unique urban experience that integrates culture and nature. You can continue your adventure with a walk along the waterfront trail to Lake Ontario’s longest pier.
Sunflower Fields of Markham, Markham
20 acres of sunflowers. Need we say more? The Sunflower Fields are new as of 2022.
Davis Family Farm, Caledon
*40* acres of sunflowers!
The Davis Family Farm is definitely a family friendly attraction. The farm offers 3km of hiking trails amongst the sunflowers, specially placed photo-ops, and a *piano* in the middle of the fields. There are animal demonstrations on the weekend for the kiddos.
Hanes Sunflower Maze, Dundas
Officially called the Hanes Corn Maze (guess what they offer in the fall?), the Hanes Sunflower Maze is our personal favourite. This field is a little smaller than the others, but it’s a *maze*! The kids love running through the sunflower paths, and there is an observation deck that overlooks the field. There is also a playground and a bakery on site.
5) Dahlias
Dahlias are not native flowers to Ontario, but we mention dahlias to highlight Andrew’s Scenic Acres in Milton, ON, with its impressive 2 acre dahlia fields that offer perhaps the most whimsical (and Instagrammable!) bloom experience of all. Imagine – colourful flowers as far as the eye can see. I’m all for native species, but I was blown away by this one-of-a-kind flower field.
Dahlias generally bloom through August and September. (This farm also has sunflowers – it’s not as impressive as some of the other fields, but you can experience both here!) You can pick your own bouquet and pay by then stem. I could spend an entire afternoon wandering in this field, but alas Andrew’s Farms also has a number of attractions the kids just *have* to do. The kids love climbing the hay bales, playing on the playground, seeing the farm animals, and taking the tractor ride around the farm.
As an added bonus: 6) the (white) trillium! As Ontario’s provincial flower, the trillium deserves special mention. Trillium plants look like ground cover, and are part of the lily family. They bloom during the month of May, and you can find them along many forest trails in the spring.
