Desert dreams....
I have to give credit to fellow Toronto gardening blogger, Helen, for the title of this post. (The words were from a Facebook comment.) Taking pictures of desert plantings at the Centennial Park Conservatory took on a strange dream-like quality indeed, given the nightmarish polar winds and temperatures outside the glass panes.
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| Cacti and succulents at the Centennial Park Conservatory, Etobicoke desert garden |
The desert wing/room of the Conservatory complex holds one of two permanent plantings (the other is the main tropical garden that I wrote about last post titled "Centennial Park Conservatory 's Tropical House: Warmth, colour and high humidity in late winter?") Visitors can experience both humid and arid environments by passing through one door!
(Learn more about the Conservatory here and read my Yelp review of the Centennial Park Conservatory.)
I always marvel at the contrast in textures between the cacti, yuccas, agaves and succulents in the desert gardens here and at the Allan Gardens Conservatory. I think the kalanchoes are added periodically to punch up the colour, to good effect.
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| Centennial Park Conservatory desert garden, Etobicoke Agave americana, pink and white kalanchoes |
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| Agave flowers in Centennial Park Conservatory's desert garden |
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| Centennial Park Conservatory desert garden Agave americana and pink kalanchoe |
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| Centennial Park Conservatory desert garden |
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| Yellow kalanchoes, cacti and other succulents in Centennial Park Conservatory's desert garden |
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| Desert garden in Centennial Park Conservatory, Etobicoke |
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| Centennial Park Conservatory Etobicoke desert garden cacti closeup |
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| Senecio serpens (Blue Chalksticks) and pink kalanchoe at Centennial Park Conservatory's desert garden |
Maybe one day I'll see similar plantings in situ (need to get the kids through university first) instead of this contrived environment. Still, I appreciate the garden as a tonic to get me through this harsh winter!
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