Allan Gardens ~ A Touch of Spring in Winter

 Allan Gardens is one of Toronto's oldest parks ~ the conservatory built in 1910, and houses an amazing permanent collection of exotic plants which are supplemented with colourful seasonal flowers and flower shows. Spanning six greenhouses, approximately covering 16, 000 square feet.

This past weekend though the sun was shining there was a steady flow of visitors, taking in all the splendor. There are benches placed throughout - so you can rest or sit and take in all the beauty around you.

Along with the beautiful oasis in the city the park also offers ...

Lots of park benches to sit and enjoy the day ...  

A doggie park with separate off leash areas for large and small furbabies... 

A fenced playground for children with lots of slides, and playground equipment...

The doors to the conservatory beckon you in...

The glass ceiling is breath taking ... 

 From the moment you step through the doors it's like entering into spring ...
 the greenery and pathways from greenhouse to greenhouse pull you in.

 Pops of colour are everywhere ,,,

There's even some turtles to delight the young and those not so young... 

If you love orchids as much as I do, you will be in absolute orchid heaven!!

Allan Gardens is located at 19 Horticultural Avenue, (south side of Carlton Street, between: Jarvis and Sherbourne Streets). Easily accessible by TTC. Open year round 10 am - 5 pm , admission is free and wheel chair accessible. 

Some dates to make note of, from the Allan Gardens Conservatory website:

The 2017 Spring Flower Show will begin March 1, and run until May 14. The spring show culminates with the Easter flower show.

Easter Masses of various hydrangeas, Easter lilies and bulbs are in full bloom beginning Palm Sunday. The show runs for 3-4 weeks, ending after Easter.

The 2017 Easter Show will begin April 14.

Summer

The Summer Show features many of the newest varieties of annual flowers including coleus, geraniums, caladiums, cannas and impatiens. The show runs from June-September.

Fall

Discover the beauty of autumn in the City! The Fall Chrysanthemum Exhibition is featured from Early October to mid November. Hundreds of colourful pot mums, cascades, standards and baskets flourish in the conservatory.

Christmas Flower Show

The Christmas Flower Show is the highlight of the year. The entire conservatory is decorated and filled with thousands of flowering plants and more than 30 varieties of poinsettia. In addition, the conservatory features several topiary masterpieces inspired by the holiday season and created entirely of plant material.

Grand openings are held in December and visitors are treated to horse and wagon rides, carolers, hot apple cider and a visit from Santa.

Grand opening dates are as follows:

• Allan Gardens Conservatory: 1st Sunday of December

The conservatory can also be enjoyed by candlelight on several weekends. The show runs until mid January. Please view the Parks, Forestry and Recreation calendar for more details.

Mark your Day Planners (I know I have) ... you will not want to to miss these flower shows!!

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Jam Tasting, Scones & a Cup of Tea - Kitten and The Bear

One of the great things about being in the city is that no matter the weather, you can still get around without driving by making use of the TTC system. On this damp, cold and drizzly day I made my way to this quaint little gem on Queen West. 

Kitten and The Bear (don't you just love the name!) may be a petite space offering seating for possibly 5-6 guests at a time, but it is HUGE in warmth and welcoming vibes. From the lovely floral arrangements to the shabby chic decor, you quickly forget the dismal weather outside.

Along with the signature jam, the gifting items include a potpourri of teas, soaps, tea ware, honey and a darling pin set. 

 To compliment the jam tasting a fine selection of  Sloane teas to choose from.

If coffee is your preference ...  V 60 is a unique style of coffee (to me - I had not heard of it before)

The freshly baked in house buttermilk scones are the perfect vessel for 
tasting all the wonderful jams. The scrumptious scones can be order to go. 

Kitten and The Bear is one of only a handful of preserve companies in the world that still makes confiture (the French term for “jam”) using hand-hammered copper “confiture pans” imported from France. The artisan jams, jellies and marmalades are made completely by hand in small, limited batches at the shop in Parkdale.

 A jam tasting is a wonderful experience to do on your own, an outing with friends or a date with your sweetheart.

I choose the Jasmine Pink Lemonade tea ...and my friend Shirley choose the Oolong Cream tea... 

All the jams in our tasting were beyond delicious ... 

and my favourite was the Banana Bourbon and Vanilla bean - 

I may have not been able to resist buying a jar for home.

The Kitten & The Bear is located at 1574 Queen Street West, easily accessible by the 501 Queen Street trolley which stops steps from the shop. The shop is small and reservations are not taken, though you can be placed on a wait list - and when one of the two sitting areas becomes available.you will receive a message your table is available. There are many little shops along this stretch of Queen West to explore as you wait for your table. A side note: there is no washroom on sight ( I was told this is common with the little shops - but the Deli literally a few steps away is accommodating to the Kitten & The Bear guests.) 

Whether you sit in to enjoy the tea and jam service or get your scones and jam to go, this is definitely a gem in the city that you should give a try. To learn more about the Kitten & The Bear visit the website HERE.

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Éclairs & More Éclairs - Nugateau

Last weekend I made my way to Bathurst & Queen ...
Imagine my delight when I spotted Nugateau and discovered Toronto's first Éclair only patisserie!

These little works of art are beautifully displayed in a boutique style glass display case. Like selecting the perfect little bling from a jewelry case, trust me when I say it will take you some time to decide which elegantly hand crafted Éclair you will be treating yourself too! 

I finally decided on this beauty ... to pair with my cup of tea.
The tea served is from Palais des Thés, a France based tea company. 

The friendly and welcoming barista, will create your beverage of choice, from hot beverages
like tea, lattes, coffee to cold versions.

The selection of  Éclairs  is updated regularly and influenced by the seasons. And while I've been talking about all the sweet delights, know that savory Éclair options are also available and hand crafted with the same attention to detail as the sweet delights.

This Valentine's - why not treat your loved one (that includes YOU too!) to one of these wonderful delights.

On my visit I had the pleasure of meeting the pastry chef and artist behind these petite works of mouth watering delights,  Atul. Speaking with him you could hear and feel the passion he has for his craft. 

Nugateau is located at 717 Queen Street W. 

You can see more of these works of art on the Nugateau website HERE.

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