● The Immaculately Blooming Gardens at Glendon Campus

The Immaculately Blooming Gardens at Glendon Campus

Elton Campbell Layout Designer

Glendon Campus is known not only for its status as the bilingual campus of York University, or for its sprawling, lush forest and manicured lawns from late spring to early autumn, but also for its breathtaking gardens found around every corner. Glendon is famous for being the picturesque background of many a wedding or special occasion, due in no small part to its impressive blooming flowers and bountiful plants that burst from the earth during the warmest months of Toronto. This article will highlight four of Glendon Campus’ gardens, along with other areas to spot amazing flowering and non-flowering plants on campus. 1. The Centre of Excellence Garden Upon entering the campus from its 2275 Bayview Avenue entrance, a three-story glass building called the Centre of Excellence overlooks a flowering island oasis in the middle of a paved concrete roundabout. This pint-sized garden is described as the Centre of Excellence Garden, and tends to change over the years with regards to the annual selection of flowers. Some of the flowers included in this year’s garden are an array of brightly coloured variations of marigold, zinnia, and petunia flowers, as well as the silver ragwort plant.

2. The Glendon Manor Garden The exterior walls and main entrance of the Glendon Manor are crocheted with leafy vines hanging two stories high, and face an oval-shaped garden dubbed the Glendon Manor Garden. Surrounding the oblong garden and its stone path are black-eyed Susans with their golden petals, violet Salvia flowers, and stone balustrades. An alternate walkway to navigate the space between the Glendon Manor, the Leslie Frost Library and the Glendon Cafeteria, this garden is an annual spectacle, with different selections of flowers each year. This year, some of the bloomers in this garden include white cape daisies, coneflowers and dahlias. To the right of the Manor sits the Glendon Gallery; beneath its immaculate black-lettered sign, an arrangement of plants can be found, including coneflowers and the Coleus plant, with its distinctive burgundy leaves edged with lime green. The leaves of the ornamental Persian shield plants create a dazzling illusion of interchanging shades of violet and green, whether swaying in the wind or remaining stationary.

3. The Bruce Bryden Rose Garden A haven of roses of various colours, including white, pink, red, and yellow, this garden is a symmetrical masterpiece of lawn spaces, flower beds, stone cut walkways, low stone walls, and a border of what seem to be Winter Gem boxwood plants, neatly trimmed to create square barriers. At the centre of the garden lies a fountain, with a sculptured frog spewing arches of water inside. In fact, for centuries, outdoor water fountains have been incorporated into the development plans of small towns and large cities around the world. This is due to their ability to attract birds, maintain the humid environment, create a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere, and drown out unpleasant sounds. Two gazebos overlook this garden, but the best view can be found at the back windows on the second floor of Leslie Frost Library.

4. “Green Space” Gardens I have labeled this area of the campus the “Green Space” gardens due to its ecological significance. Located between the Glendon cafeteria side windows and the Breezeway, this open green space contains intimate mini gardens and benches. They are constantly buzzing with friendly pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, as a result of the luminous marigolds, colourful petunias, and indefatigable dandelions that emerge in the spring, disappear in the summer, and make a reappearance in the autumn. This space also features Glendon’s homegrown vegetable garden, marked by towering sunflowers, cousins of the Black-Eyed Susans.

Honourable mentions of areas at Glendon to admire plants include: in front of the Accessibility, Well-Being, and Counselling (AWC) Center; the potted Crotons at the immediate front of the Glendon Manor; the Mandevilla plants’ abundance of light pink flowers near the exit door closest to the Glendon Theatre; and the nasturtium plants in full bloom to the left of Leslie Frost Library. Additionally, hidden gems surround C Wing of York Hall; the potted banana trees are my favourite. The majority of the leaves on campus are making the transition from green to varying shades of yellow, brown, and orange. Some have already started to fall, and winter is quickly approaching. I invite Glendonites and other members of the York University community

Photo par Elton Campbell

to enjoy the finale of our blooming gardens at Glendon before they’re gone.