Tucked away, off-the-beaten-path in Bridgeland/Riverside (15 Colonel Baker Pl. NE) sits the CNIB’s Fragrant Garden. This fully accessible, barrier-free garden was designed for the CNIB as an outdoor classroom for those with impaired or full vision loss.

Everyone Welcome

It is a safe place where the visually impaired of all ages can develop the skills and confidence needed to become more mobile and independent. All of the plants were selected for their distinct smells and textures to create a sensory experience. In addition there is signage is in braille to enhance the learning experience.

The garden is also open to the public free of charge. And, with lots of benches and tables, making it a lovely place to meet friends for coffee or have a picnic. Anyone wanting a quiet place to sit, reflect and ponder is welcome. It is also a photographer’s dream and would be a delightful place to sketch or perhaps try your hand at writing – maybe some poetry. It is also a great place to take kids to teach them about plants and discuss what it would be like if you couldn’t see.

It is hard to believe this tranquil garden is not far from the hustle and bustle of Memorial Drive and a short walk from the Bridgeland LRT Station. Open year round, there is always something in bloom from May to October.

Canada’s First Fragrant Garden

In 1955 Elsinor Burns, member of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) building committee and an executive member of the Garden Club of Toronto (GCT), had the idea of creating a fragrant garden outside of CNIB's headquarters to be enjoyed by the blind. She was joined by Lois Wilson, Gardening Editor for Chatelaine Magazine, who was also a member of the GCT, in spearheading the project. The club voted to raise $400 ($3,684.51 in 2017) for the project. Astonishingly, they raised $21,000 ($193,436.82 in 2017). A committee was created consisting of five GCT members, as well as five blind members of the CNIB, in order to create a beautiful, but equally important, functional garden that could be enjoyed by those who were sight impaired.

Link: Fragrant Garden for the Blind