Planted and maintained by volunteer stewards, our Urban Forest Demonstration Gardens are located at four different TTC stations across Toronto. They showcase the beauty of native species and help build Toronto’s urban forest. They also provide an opportunity for local residents to play an active role in improving their communities.
For the second year since 2021, our demonstration gardens were awarded the Society for Organic Land Care's Greener Greenspaces recognition for their exemplary ecologically-focused land care.
Greener Greenspaces recognition
LEAF’s Urban Forest Demonstration Gardens (UFDG) showcase the beauty and ecological benefits of native plants in urban settings. These gardens support biodiversity, inspire eco-friendly gardening practices and demonstrate how we can all contribute to a healthier urban forest.
First planted in 2010, each garden is cared for by a team of dedicated volunteers using permaculture techniques such as mulching, water conservation strategies, using organic compost, and ensuring resilience through biodiversity.
Help our Gardens Grow!
Our volunteer Garden Stewards are the heart and soul of our demonstration gardens, helping native plants thrive and inspiring a greener, healthier city!
As a Garden Steward, you’ll work with a team to care for a garden. Teams and are encouraged to take collective ownership over their garden, collaborate on decision making and recognize their garden’s needs. Whether it's planting, weeding, pruning, seed collecting, waking the gardens up for spring or tucking them in for winter, you’ll be part of every season’s story.
LEAF supports volunteers with training, equipment and guidance to help you grow your skills as much as the gardens themselves.
If you’re passionate about native plants, love learning and enjoy being outdoors, we want you on our team! To become a Garden Steward, attend a volunteer orientation!
Our Urban Forest Demonstration Gardens are located at four TTC stations across Toronto, with our LEAF Learning Garden located at Wychwood Barns Park. Each garden is a living classroom and a green oasis ready for you to explore and help grow!
Click on any garden below to open its location in Google Maps and plan your visit:
Our gardens are vibrant spaces for creativity too, with some being brought to life with stunning murals, adding colour, character and a deeper connection to the natural world for volunteers and visitors.
Bathurst Garden (2023)
Ojibwe Woodland artist, Thomas Sinclair, created a mural that holds significant importance to the local community. The mural celebrates values of land stewardship and reconciliation, fostering a deeper connection between the community and the natural world. Read more on our blog.
Through the Bell Box Murals Project, artist Nick Sweetman painted a mural showcasing native plants like common ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) and wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) along with a visiting masked bee, capturing the beauty and significance of a thriving urban forest ecosystem.
Artist James McLean’s whimsical mural draws in community members to explore our hidden, urban forest oasis. The inclusion of native species and make-believe creatures offer visitors a chance to use their imaginations and discover the magic that our garden has to offer.
