Last week I ventured into Toronto with my step-mom and Nate for Canada Blooms. We had a nice time getting away from home for the day getting into the city, but generally speaking we found the show to be a little bit disappointing this year.
The event switched venues from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre which is located within walking distance from Union Station, to the Direct Energy Centre (DEC) at Exhibition Place. Although the GO Train does run to both locations, it’s a lot farther from the Exhibition GO station to Direct Energy Centre than it is to walk from Union Station to the Convention Centre, and the walk is all indoors. Admission this year was $18, which I assume had something to do with the change in location. It’s a shame that the increased expense was passed onto the patrons, though. Parking at DEC was $12, inside or out. We parked indoors because we had Nate with us. There was only one elevator from the parking garage up to the main level of DEC, and finding it at the end of the far end of the garage was a bit of a challenge.
Most of the usual exhibitors were there…Home Depot, Lee Valley, moss and Scott’s. There were a lot fewer vendors in the market place that sold actual plants this year, which was disappointing. One of my favourite vendors, Richters Herbs, has been missing in action for a couple of years, unfortunately. There were a lot of vendors there that seemed really out of place. There were several high-end clothing vendors, and at one of them we saw for sale a blouse that was priced at $144. I was really at a loss as to what they were doing there.
The feature gardens displayed their usual blend of complex and rather expensive-looking stone work and landscaping, designed to showcase trends in outdoor living. This year’s popular feature seemed to be the outdoor flame, including fireplaces and wall sconces. Nate liked the brightly coloured daffodils on the Canadian Cancer Society’s Yellow Beacon garden.
We also had fun with Nate in the children’s garden, called the Magical World of Tinker Bell.
On the plus side, it was nice having everything on one level in the new venue. At the Convention Centre the marketplace, some of the exhibitors and the speakers’ rooms were all on different levels. This venue is much more wheelchair and stroller-friendly.
I’ll continue to go to Canada Blooms because it IS nice to look forward to the gardening season here in Ontario in early March, but if I had to pay full price to attend (full disclosure, here: I was admitted with a media pass), I’d have been disappointed. In any case, Nate had a great time!
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I was also a bit disappointed this year. I thought some of the show gardens were fabulous, especially liked the Toronto Botanical Gardens, but was very disappointed with the Market Place. I even saw some guy selling a garlic chopper, and what does jewellery have to do with a garedn show? My girlfriend came in from Kingston for the show, and she really wanted to buy some plants for her garden, but there was not much for sale. Hopefully next year, they will improve this area.
Yes, if you remember that they are just that, "show gardens" that are put together indoors in Ontario in the middle of March, they really can be spectacular. I heard some ladies complaining that there weren't any flowers at the event. Clearly, there were flowers, but it's not like you can install a lovely blooming perennial border in a place like that!
And yes, jewelry is a real stretch…
Nothing like the children's garden having bodacious fairies for the little girls to see what they're supposed to look like when they grow up. *eyeroll*
Though I do have to say Nate makes an adorable fairy.
I know, I did kind of gag at the Disneyfication of the kids' area, but it's always like that. And thanks! There were no "boy fairies." We checked.
Yeah, I was disappointed this year… AGAIN. Frankly, us Ontarians are so desperate to see anything green that I think we will continue to be disappointed. Seedy Saturday (on a Sunday) was much more of a thrill – but alas, nothing actually growing since it was a month ago. Glad you got to go!
p.s. I make a point of leaving ALL kids behind after a bad experience with a baby at the CreativFestival one year. Hope Nate had fun!