Wednesday 17 October 2012

Rosetta McClain Gardens, Scarborough (Toronto)

Once again this entry will be more of a photo album than an essay.

In the Humber River Walk (post) I mentioned that I would write about a garden on the east side of the city of Toronto which was established by another woman who was an early settler in this area. I do not know who Rosetta McClain was - nor anything about her - but I most certainly enjoy the gardens which she bequeathed to the City of Toronto. In order to reach these gardens one has to journey (transit or drive) clear across the city to the east end. When I typed my blog about High Park, I made an error - after one passes the boundary at the east end of the original City of Toronto the terrain does not remain relatively flat but rises and forms bluffs above the lake shore. The Rosetta McClain Gardens are up on these bluffs.
A fountain near the main entrance to the gardens.
An arbor that extends from the administrative building near the entrance (Mrs. McClain's original home?) to near the fountain shown in the first photo.
The formal lawns and the evergreen trees remind me a lot of Stanley Park in Vancouver.
A view of Lake Ontario and an indication of the height of the bluffs. At least once each summer there is a news item of some one - or a group of boys - who had to be rescued from the bluffs after their 'exploratory forays' went amiss.
A short distance to the east of these gardens there is a road which descends to the lake shore where there is a bathing beach and a marina. It is known as Bluffer's Park. Actually, a friend took me down there a number of years before I knew about the gardens up above.
I do not know the name of this plant but I find the blossoms to be striking.
Aren't these hibiscus flowers?
Beautiful flowers, shrubs and lawn.
A melange of flowers (by the way - just click on any of the photos to enlarge)
Another view of the 'formal' gardens.
Administration building (Rosetta McClain's original house?)
The rose garden is located at the eastern end of the park.
It is mid-October as I type this but I can almost smell these roses!
                                                   A yellow rose - my Dad's favorite.
Another visitor on that day. I was not able to visit the Rosetta McClain Gardens this summer - maybe next year?

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