As well as restoring historic designed gardens, the Trust is actively involved in the restoration of vernacular gardens. The landscape at the Ashbridge Estate in Toronto has evolved over time, reflecting the social or cultural attitudes of an individual, family or community that created it. More information on the Ashbridge Estate …

The grounds of Ashbridge are essentially 20^th-century gardens reflecting the preferences and taste of Mrs. Dorothy Bullen, a descendant of the Ashbridge family and avid amateur gardener who lived at Ashbridge her whole life. The grounds are laid out in the manner of an English flower garden, with rolling lawns punctuated by large willow and maple trees, shrubs and irregular perennial beds. Near the remnants of her ancestors' 1809 house, a cairn commemorates the first Ashbridge farm of 1793.

Mrs. Bullen's extensive diaries and family archival materials provide details about the history of the gardens' development and historical significance. These are useful as the Trust begins the work necessary to restore the gardens.