Happy Saturday, all! I hope your weekend is off to a great start, despite the rain. Tania and I were planning a beach day today but decided to reschedule for tomorrow after looking at the forecast, and I’m so glad we did. Keeping our fingers crossed for sunny skies tomorrow!
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I’m always looking for fun events to attend in and around Toronto. The event I’m going to share with you today has been around since 2013, and not only is it still going strong, but it’s bigger and better than ever! If you love flowers, plants and supporting local businesses, you’ll definitely want to check out the Toronto Flower Market.
Running from May through October, the Toronto Flower Market is Toronto’s only outdoor flower market. It was started by Natasa Kajganic, who – after a trip to London’s famous Columbia Road Flower Market – decided Toronto needed something similar. The market takes place once a month on select Saturdays, in the park beside CAMH at the corner of Queen and Shaw. I used to live close by in Liberty Village, and I would go regularly. Even though I now live in Burlington, Tania and I head into Toronto fairly frequently. So when I realized the market would be happening on July 15, the same day we were headed downtown for brunch, I knew we had to pop by and check it out!
The Toronto Flower Market has an impressive roster of vendors, from Toronto-based florists to flower farms further outside the city. Euclid Farms, a small-scale, chemical-free urban flower farm was there selling some stunning arrangements. (Their brick-and-mortar location is just down the street by Trinity Bellwoods, so you can visit them anytime!)
Dahlia May, a family-run flower farm in Quinte West, was selling the cutest, cheeriest Mason jar arrangements with daisies, sunflowers and snapdragons – some of my favourite ‘happy’ flowers! They also make some beautiful dried arrangements if you’re looking for something that will last longer.
North Toronto florist Bloom Plus (their storefront is at Yonge and Lawrence) had a ton of gorgeous arrangements featuring a variety of different blooms, from lilies to dahlias to ranunculus.
St. Catharines flower farm In Between The Vines had one of the most popular booths at the market, most likely due to their winning combination of beautiful flowers at affordable prices. Each bunch was only $10! Their pink peonies were especially stunning.
These mixed bouquets from Hamilton farm La Primavera also featured some lovely peonies, with some fun additions like blue cornflowers – one of my favourites!
I had to chuckle at these “purrfect” catnip bouquets sold by eco-conscious Oshawa flower farm Heirloom Heather. Why should humans have all the fun??
And the Toronto Flower Market doesn’t only sell flowers! You can also buy planters, stationery, honey, and even grab a themed snack: the edible flower-topped cookies from Sweet Flora are almost too pretty to eat. And I loved these 70s-chic macrame planters by Knot Even Designs.
You can view a full list of Toronto Flower Market vendors here, and check out upcoming market dates here. The next market takes place on August 12, followed by September 9 and October 7.
Are you a floral fan? What’s your favourite flower?