One of the largest rock gardens in Canada, sold to Metro Toronto for a park

Edwards Gardens

A Scottish miller's overgrown property became a wealthy businessman's private estate in 1944 — then, a decade later, a public park with one of the largest rockeries in the country.

The property's history began in 1817, when Scottish miller Alexander Milne settled his family and built his business on the site; the land stayed in the Milne family for over a century before falling into disrepair. In 1944, Toronto businessman Rupert Edwards purchased the overgrown property to fulfill his dream of "a place in the country," transforming it into one of the largest rockeries in Canada, complete with a private nine-hole golf course.

From private estate to botanical garden

Edwards sold the property to the Municipality of Metro Toronto in 1955, and it opened to the public as Edwards Gardens in 1956. The Garden Club of Toronto, which shared facilities at the site from the start, eventually built the Toronto Botanical Garden there — a volunteer-driven charity that opened a series of contemporary themed gardens spanning nearly four acres in 2006, alongside the city-owned public park.

Sources

Toronto Botanical Garden — History

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