Mar 05, 2014
By Jane Brown
Never mind the cost and time of leaving town for a tropical getaway, many Torontonians have been heading to the oasis of Allan Gardens. Exotic plants, such as palm fronds six metres high, a banana tree and bird of paradise flowers are on display at the conservatory at Jarvis and Gerrard. Staff estimate attendance is 20 to 30 percent higher than this time last year and attribute the surge in popularity to bleak weather. Curtis Evoy is a horticulturalist who has worked at Allan Gardens for more than two decades. He says, “people are desperate for colour, something green and a little warmth.” The conservatory was built in 1910 and has always offered free admission. Evoy said last weekend, when the city woke up to another blanket of snow, it was so busy at Allan Gardens, visitors had a hard time moving through the greenhouse.
(photo credit: Steve Russell/Toronto Star)
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