Gardens + Greenspaces: Stay an extra day because we often hear "too many gardens, not enough time!"

Perhaps no other activity has grown so rapidly in recent decades in this country as has gardening. Classified as a leisure activity (although leisure seems hardly the right adjective!), Statistics Canada puts it at the top of the list with more than 80 per cent of adult Canadians claiming to garden to some extent. All signs indicate that this passion for gardening will only increase in the future.

To capture your imagination, Oakville is home to some of the most beautiful gardens in Southern Ontario. The Oakville Horticultural Society, established more than 50 years ago, hosts a self-guided annual Garden Tour. This annual event is a much anticipated and a one-of-a-kind for gardeners. Come and spend a day seeing the gardens and neighbourhoods of Oakville.

Oakville’s own Erchless Gardens have been carefully restored to their historic appearance from photographs taken in the early 1900s. The four-acre grounds are an important part of Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate and are beautifully maintained by the Town of Oakville's Parks and Open Spaces Department. Also, the Royal Botanical Gardens located within minutes of Oakville is Canada’s largest botanical garden and one of the country’s premier cultural, education and scientific institutions. It has extensive educational programs and serves as an outdoor laboratory for scientific research. The RBG was established as an independent entity in 1941 by an act of the provincial government, but the project traces its origins to the late 1920s.

Those that call Oakville home (residents and businesses) are dedicated to maintaining lush acreages with woods, ponds, streams, and ornamental plantings There are few who do not respond to the sight of a new blossom unfurling. You can also visit the Town of Oakville website for a more complete listing of Oakville’s parks and trails.

Come and indulge your senses with all things green and beautiful.

Download the Golf, Gardens & Greenspaces excerpt from the 2009–2010 Visitor Guide (pdf, 2.2 MB)