Rosetta McClain Gardens

My parents first introduced me to Rosetta McClain Gardens a few years ago. I’m not sure how eager they were to share their favourite secret spot, but they did and I could see why they love it so much. The park sits high up on the bluffs and from the chain link fence at the back you can gaze far out over Lake Ontario. The centrepiece is a huge rock fountain, surrounded by annuals in raised beds, perennial borders and a curved pergola. It’s a great place to sit on a bench and watch the butterflies (except in winter, of course, when you’d probably want to keep moving). There’s a paved path leading off to the left which takes you through treed parkland to a big rose garden. If you keep following the path counter-clockwise, you pass some old ruins, a great place for portrait shots. I should note that there’s a building with well-kept washrooms right at the entrance, near the parking area. So now you know about my parents’ favourite secret place; if you see them there, just don’t tell them I sent you.