10 ways to get ready for spring in Toronto

Spring is in the air. Here are 10 ways to supercharge your April cleanup, breathe some new activities into your social life or discover your hidden green thumb.

You may not get to plant your tomatoes, peppers and lettuces until late May, but it doesn’t mean you can’t start your planning while snow is still on the ground. In fact, you can even sprout seedlings indoors during the winter months. Toronto’s Seedy Saturdays runs March, April, May and beyond at locations around the city. In addition to the expert tips on urban gardening, vendors offer heirloom seeds of everything from wild lavender to butternut squash.  Meanwhile, these Toronto garden centres have all the supplies you need to get started.

If indoor gardens are more to your taste, start reading up on the best indoor plants and all the ways to host a garden oasis within your home. Green-thumb gardening boutiques like Urban Gardener in the Junction, Crown Flora in Parkdale and Florabunda on Queen East can help you bring the outdoors in.

You may have embraced winter with those dark porters and stouts, but as spring comes into view, those amber ales and hefeweizens start looking mighty thirst-quenching again. While you’ve been hibernating, the city’s brewery scene has brightened.

Shacklands Brewing brew pub and bottle shop (Stockyards) is complete with all the Canadiana vibes. Otto’s Bierhalle is Queen West’s newest spot for German schnitzel and hard-to-find beer imports. Western Canada’s Big Rock Brewery partners with Toronto culinary legends Oliver and Bonancini at Liberty Commons. If cider is more on the mind, Toronto had begun to see a trend toward dedicated cider bars, most recently Roncesvalles’ Cider House.

This just in: Toronto’s reputation for touting a neutral style uniform has started to change. We may still love our navys and taupes, but a slew of designers like Hayley Elsaesser and boutiques like Ossington’s Victoire are offering patterned and colourful options, making it easy to add a dynamic upgrade to the wardrobe, just in time for spring.

Planning your annual Algonquin trip just got a little more convenient. In celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, Parks Canada is offering free passes to all national parks across the country. The pass is valid until December 2017 and will help you save on access fees to Canadian parks, national historic sites and marine parks. Have you picked yours up yet?

Shake out the winter dust this spring with a team of sustainable, all-natural and eco-friendly cleaning products that you can find from local boutiques from east to west.  If you’ve caught minimalism fever, and are feeling an intense springtime re-organization, start by investing in some swanky storage by hitting Neat, Muji or the Umbra Concept Store.

When the temperatures rise above sub-arctic, there’s lots to celebrate - namely the ability to spend time outside again. With conservation lands and hiking trails littered around Toronto and in close proximity to the city limits, it’s time to gather your pals and spend a Saturday in the sunshine. The City of Toronto has the goods on the best outdoor adventures in the city, from urban Discovery Walks to forested trails.

Have you checked out what’s new on the Toronto restaurant circuit since winter reared its ugly, anti-social head? Standouts in the east end include Lake Inez (boasting one of the most lovely interiors of 2017 so far) and Toronto’s first (and may we say, already infamous) Chicago deep-dish pizzeria, Double Ds. Meanwhile, the west has welcomed Dolly’s a new mojito bar and Philippine-style restaurant in Bloordale from the Playa Cabana family, and Superpoint Express, a takeout pizza spot in Parkdale from Ossington’s hip new pizzeria by the same name.

If you’re burning out on dating apps like Tinder and Bumble, may we suggest a more localized approach? Toronto is a city of activities, and the best way to meet some fellow single folks is to participate in one of them. Toronto Sport and Social Club hosts rec leagues from dozens of sports from softball to floor hockey. If you’re more the maker-minded sort, take a DIY class that’s sure to serve as an intro to some interesting folks. These maker spaces across TO offer workshops in everything from knitting to metallurgy. Artsy? Take up a painting or drawing class.

With ice and snow off the streets, it’s time to emerge from the gym and bring your workout outside. Take your home workout to the park and breathe in some fresh spring air with those squats, or join a run club organized by Running Room, Parkdale Roadrunners or local athletic boutique BlackToe Running. In fact, here’s a rundown (pun very much intended) of the best clubs for runners, walkers and cyclists in TO.