TORONTO MUSIC GARDEN

A grace note on the harbour harbour promenade between Dan Leckie Way and Spadina Avenue, the Toronto Music Garden is one of the city’s most beautiful and lovingly cared-for gardens and a treat for all the senses. The garden was designed by Julie Moir Messervy and opened in 1999 with the collaboration of internationally renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the generous involvement of the local community. Its distinctive curvilinear forms drew inspiration from Bach’s The First Suite for Unaccompanied Cell , with different sections of the garden corresponding to each movement.

It was first conceived for Boston and when the project fell through there, Toronto embraced it. It is part of

Harbourfront, which was created in 1972 with the purchase of former industrial lands by the federal government. The original development plans for the area were contested by the public for, among other things, not containing sufficient public space. The response was to move Queens Quay away from the water’s edge, creating room for the Music Garden. If the Music Garden is the stage, the backdrop is a row of handsome mid-rise residential buildings designed by Arthur Erickson and KPMB Architects with public uses on the ground floor, including a Music Garden Cafe.

We visit the Music Garden often as part of our almost daily walks to the water’s edge. The highly diverse lush plantings make it a standout in all seasons, always