If you’re looking for a mid-day break, a weekend treat, or simply a place to connect with nature, Kingston is bustling with blooms for you to explore. Research shows that experiences in nature can improve physical fitness and the ability to cope with stress. Experiences in nature are linked to good health, both physical and mental. More than 200 parks are open to the public year-round in Kingston, so you can revel in the spring weather by checking out what nature has to offer in your own backyard. All these spaces are open to the public and free of charge, making your next walk even brighter.
Please remember to responsibly enjoy Kingston’s parks: stay with your household and physically distance from others.
Confederation Basin, Confederation Park & City Hall
216 Ontario St
If you’ve got a craving for tulips this season, or just want to discover some flowery views in historic downtown Kingston, check out the Confederation Basin area located in front of City Hall. Here you’ll find a bright, spacious green space offering views of the marina, sparkling Lake Ontario, and Royal Military College. This area includes the lush gardens and fountains of Confederation Park just in front of City Hall and other blooms lining the Waterfront Pathway. Did you know that Shoal Tower, one of the four Martello Towers in Kingston, is also located here? The tower was built in the 1840s to defend Kingston’s harbour. Confederation Basin proves that you can be at the centre of downtown Kingston – and its selection of great coffee and snacks for you to grab and go – while still satisfying your urge to get back to nature.
View this post on Instagram
The Walk at City Park, Hospice Kingston
Bordered by King St E, Barrie St, Bagot St, and West St
Travel west of City Hall and you’ll find the leafy grounds of City Park. You can also enjoy the Walk located in the northeast corner of the park. The Walk was developed by Hospice Kingston to be a family-friendly space for quiet contemplation. Here you can rest on a bench and listen the bubbling fountain or wander the Walk’s pathway, which features several memory stones commemorating loved ones and their accomplishments. With flowers that shift with the seasons, this is a peaceful place for reflection and mindfulness.
Lions Civic Gardens
875 Gardiners Rd
Those in the west end of Kingston may be familiar with the Lions Civic Gardens, which has hosted many free music concerts over the years. (It’s also a popular toboggan run in the winter.) But this park next to Cataraqui Town Centre also offers some lovely walking trails. These gardens offer the opportunity to roam and discover wildflowers; there are also several maintained garden beds here.
Queen’s University campus
99 University Ave
There’s perhaps no better place in Kingston to witness spectacular flowers and trees than on the Queen’s University campus. Beds of daffodils and tulips make a bright contrast to the backdrop of limestone buildings. Later, as the flowering bulbs finish blooming, they’ll be replaced by annual flowers. Did you know that each year the grounds crew constructs a detailed plan about what they’ll be planting in the campus garden beds and planters?
While beautiful flower beds can be found across the entire campus, take some time to view the trees there, many of which are unlikely to be found elsewhere in Kingston, or even in Southeastern Ontario. This is because a unique microclimate is created here by the combination of building placement and proximity to Lake Ontario. The Snodgrass Arboretum, located in front of Theological Hall and Summerhill, was established in 1999 to recognize these rare trees. In fact, the slope in front of Summerhill was the site of Canada’s first botanical garden, established in 1861 by the Botanical Society of Canada. You can also virtually tour the Arboretum.
From the hanging baskets studded along University Avenue or the lush spring garden beds at Agnes Benidickson field, Queen’s campus is a must-see for those looking for blooms.
Joseph Dominik Garden
191 Portsmouth Ave
Joseph Dominik Garden is the first fully accessible public sensory garden in Kingston. The Ongwanada Centre opened the therapeutic garden in 2006. Since then, the garden has won several awards from the Kingston Communities in Bloom program. The garden was designed to elicit a beautiful sensory experience for those with developmental and physical disabilities. Come discover how this space engages all the senses!
Churchill Park Flower Garden
On Brock Street, between Napier and Regent streets, you’ll find Churchill Park, known for its stunning flowerbeds. The space also boasts a sundial monument, erected in 1973 to celebrate Kingston’s 300th anniversary and the 500th anniversary of the birth of Copernicus.
Barriefield Rock Garden
The Bill Robb Barriefield Rock Garden that runs from the bottom of Main Street alongside James Street to the rock-cut along Highway 2 was created in 1990. Bill Robb was a retired Bell Canada lineman and engineering technician who was instrumental in devising the project. He cultivated the garden systematically, using an aerial photograph that he marked off as he proceeded. Having volunteered at the local federal prisons, Bill enlisted inmates to help with the gardening, many of whom went on to work in the landscape industry.
The garden, with its unique natural landscaping, has won Kingston Community in Bloom awards over the years and it continues to be maintained by volunteers, with funding from the Pittsburgh Community Benefit Fund.
Paterson Memorial Garden
111 Norman Rogers Dr
Tended by members of the Kingston Horticultural Society, the Paterson Memorial Garden, (next to the City of Kingston greenhouse in Roden Park), is a perfect place to wander. With new additions every year, this garden is constantly evolving. The garden pays tribute to Willie Paterson (1891–1983), who shared his plants and botanical knowledge with the Kingston community for many years. The Kingston Horticultural Society also offers online informational meetings for members and guests. You can check out its website for information on upcoming Zoom meetings. The Kingston Horticultural Society also maintains the Pollinator Garden at the Memorial Centre at 303 York Street. Dedicated to providing continuous bloom and confronting the challenge of pollinator decline, this garden is worth checking out.
Whether you’re admiring the forsythia or daffodils on your neighbor’s front lawn, or planning to visit some of the green spaces on our list, take advantage of the opportunity to get outside, de-stress, feel happier, and boost your creativity. Stopping to smell the roses is always good for the soul.
