Guild Park Pollinator Garden
Begining of the Garden
What started as a dull patch tucked between a parking lot and a concrete sidewalk underwent a vibrant transformation in June 2022, when dedicated community volunteers laid down black plastic and a hefty load of mulch. Over the summer, the space was left to solarize naturally (a process that uses sunlight to suppress weeds and improve soil conditions), setting the stage for planting, which kicked off in September 2022.
The team created a stunning 80 square metre garden using only wildflowers native to this region. Of these, 75% are host plants for many species of butterflies and moths – they need these plants to lay their eggs on and for their caterpillars to feed on. In other words, the garden is a butterfly and moth nursery!
An important feature of Guild Park's Pollinator Garden is the informative sign specially made for the site. Local designer, Keith Ly, created the all-season sign, which provides visitors with important information about the site and the wildlife it supports.
This garden was an initiative of Friends of Guild Park and the Guildwood Butterflyway Project, supported by Live Green Toronto’s PollinateTO Community Grants Program. Assisting as project trustee was Park People, the charity for Canadian urban parks.
City of Toronto Garden Award
Guild Park's Native Pollinator Garden earned the City of Toronto Garden Award for best community garden in 2024.
For the Guild Park entry, judges were impressed at how a team of volunteers transformed a patch of unused turf into a thriving habitat for pollinators and added another green attraction to the park's beautiful gardens.
The juried awards ceremony took place on October 30, 2024, at Guild Park’s Clark Centre for the Arts, recognizing outstanding gardens across the city of Toronto. The honorees represented a diverse cross-section of the city, with entries spanning from Downsview in the northwest to Port Union in the east, in categories ranging from residential to institutional. Certificates signed by Mayor Olivia Chow and local Councillor Paul Ainslie were presented to the Guild Park Pollinator stewards.
Garden Stewardship
Local volunteers continue to act as stewards of the garden, working on weeding, watering and planting every Friday morning between May and October. New volunteers are always welcome and can join the team by signing up here: Guild Park Gardening Volunteer Spots.
Viewing the Garden
The garden is packed with native wildflowers that butterflies love. For a closer look we have gathered the following pictures of the plants that thrive in this space. Each picture highlights these vibrant wildflowers—from the bold, sunny blooms of Black-Eyed Susans to the delicate allure of Milkweed. You might even spot butterflies fluttering between wildflower blooms or resting on leaves and petals. These pictures are a glimpse into the life that unfolds quietly in the garden every day.
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Host plant for:
Gorgone Checkerspot
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Host plant for:
Common Buckeye
Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
Host plant for:
Monarch Butterfly
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Host plant for:
Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly
Pale Purple Coneflower
Echinacea pallida
Host plant for:
Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly
Common Evening Primrose
Oenothera biennis
Common Sneezeweed
Helenium autumnale
Pearly Everlasting
Anaphalis magaritacea
Host plant for:
American Lady & Painted Lady Butterflies
Wild Strawberry
Fragaria virginiana
Host plant for:
Gray Hairstreak Butterfly
Spotted Joe Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Host plant for:
Three-Lined Flower & Ruby Tiger Moths
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Host plant for:
Northern & Pearl Crescent Butterflies
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
The garden is open year-round, so feel free to drop by in person if you're nearby—or let this webpage inspire your own native planting projects. We have a full list of host plants available: Plant List.