If you’re like me and still clinging to any chance to be out in nature before winter’s hibernation season, you should visit the Toronto Botanical Garden.

Tucked in a quiet corner of Banbury-Don Mills on 777 Lawrence Ave. E., it offers many trails along 17 themed gardens, picturesque bridges over waterways, a café aptly called The Dandelion Café and a souvenir shop where you can get seeds and nature-themed trinkets.

Admission is free, and the garden is open every day from dawn to dusk. However, indoor facilities have varying hours. The visitor centre is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Dandelion Café has seasonal hours from May to November, so check the schedule. You can also book a guided tour from the visitor centre.

If you’re planning to hang out for a while or meet up with friends, you have many options. Aside from exploring the glorious (contained) outdoors, you can check out the library by the visitor centre and take a break with indoor seating and washrooms in the main building.

If you’re up for a snack, The Dandelion Café has sandwiches starting at $6.5, salads for $8.5, pastries, coffee and tea starting at $3. It also offers wine and beer and hosts the occasional special event, like a concert BBQ evening in the summer.

Toronto Botanical Garden also has some programming throughout the year, including free festivals and art exhibits, as well as a holiday eco-market. There are also plenty of adult learning classes from forest bathing to paper quilling — though these tend to be pricier, ranging from #35 to $100.

I visited the garden in the dead of March just to walk around the trails and catch up with friends; I had a great time when I desperately needed a breath of fresh air.

What’s more, there are accessibility resources available, including accessible parking spots, accessible washrooms, elevators in the buildings, wheelchair loans and sensory backpacks. You can learn more about each on the accessibility page.

One downside is that the garden isn’t directly connected to any subway or streetcar lines. Your best option is the 51 or 162 bus, which drops you off at the Leslie Street and Lawrence Avenue East intersection, just two minutes away from the garden. You can also take the 925 express bus from Broadview Station to Don Mills Road at Lawrence Avenue East, but you’ll have to walk 17 minutes.

But with stunning biodiversity on display and thoughtful curation throughout the space, Toronto Botanical Garden is worth the trek. 

Got a favourite hangout spot in your neighbourhood? Shout it out in the comments under this article. And if you want more ratings of third spaces across Toronto, check out The Green Line’s Third Spaces Map.