Toronto spring blooms to get you through until April
What miserable weather we're having in Toronto right now! As a tonic, I'm posting pictures I took yesterday at the Allan Gardens Conservatory for you to enjoy. We'll see them outside likely in April or earlier if you visit Canada Blooms (our national flower show) next month.
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Purple and pale yellow is a favourite colour combination. And, yes, the smell from the hyacinths knocks your socks off!
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| The pale blue grape hyacinths/ muscari is kind of different (maybe "Valerie Finnis"?) |
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| Unusual markings on the right daffodil. Such a soft yellow! |
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| A little jumbled but the pink cyclamen flower, its bluish-green leaves and the bright yellow daffodils scream out "Easter isn't that far off!" |
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| Such a clean white and bright orange |
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Possibly a Calibrachoa (Update: Confirmed as Salpiglossis, thanks Barry!) The petal marking is crazy and psychedlic! |
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| Just got the lighting right for this shot I think |
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| Another Salpiglossis sinuata |
I hope you gathered some ideas and inspiration to plant more bulbs next fall. I didn't see many tulips but maybe they'll be shipped and planted in later before Easter when the next
Flower Show starts!
The other parts of the Conservatory showcase the permanent plantings which require higher temperatures and humidity. These tropicals would never survive outside in zone 5ish Toronto so seeing them strut their stuff safe and snug during a Toronto blizzard is wonderful.
The following were blooming during my visit:
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| A bloom of Bauhinia x blakeana or the Hong Kong Orchid Tree showing its very suggestive stamens and pistil |
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Now I know what the source of the emblem is on Hong Kong's the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China's flag |
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| The huge blooms of this Variegated Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia x candida) |
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| Keeping it in the family (Solanaceae), here is a closeup of Brunfelsia pauciflora or Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow. The blooms emerge purple, turn lavender and then white before dropping off. |
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| This Clivia miniata was blooming in fine form too |
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| Blooms of a purple spiderwort/Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida "Purpurea") |
Stay warm! Believe it or not, we'll be working outside in a month, the garden gods willing.
(Update: you can see all my Allan Gardens Conservatory 2013 Spring Flower Show pictures in one spot at my Flickr set.)
Hi Paul, Thanks for this, much appreciated on a rainy, snowy, slushy day.
ReplyDeleteThe heavily veined flowers are Salpiglossis.
Thank you very much, Barry, for commenting and correcting me re: Sapiglossis, you're a fountain of botanical knowledge!
Delete....i love Allan Gardens in the winter,,,,,a tonic for the weary winter soul......
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky to live nearby and drop in whenever I need a winter botanical pick-me-up. The mature trees in the park are also wonderful in the fall, especially a huge ginkgo in the south-east corner.
ReplyDelete