Beautiful on the inside, ugly on the outside
March is turning out to be shi*ty (sorry to offend) month, literally. Temperatures are above zero and walking around downtown Toronto is depressing. As the snowbanks melt, incredible volumes of spent cigarette butts, dog excrement and crushed coffee cups emerge to the surface. The garden beds are, of course, rock solid and will be so until late April but I hope to see some crocuses and snowdrops soon outside. For now, I'm enjoying these blooms on display at the local Conservatory.
The hyacinths were in full bloom and their scent wafted throughout the display section. I like their strong odor--it's a smell I definitely associate with spring.
The hyacinths were in full bloom and their scent wafted throughout the display section. I like their strong odor--it's a smell I definitely associate with spring.
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| Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show yellow and white daffodils |
I have 40 pictures that I'll break over this and another post to make things manageable.
By the way, a local paper, the Toronto Star, recently printed a short article about the Conservatory's increased attendance due to the harsh weather over the winter: Allan Gardens gets boost from bad winter
That's good news since greater attendance should mean greater or stable funding by the city (there's no entry fee so the operations are funded through our taxes, I guess) but bad news for me, personally, as all these pesky guests are getting in the way of my picture taking!
Just kidding, I love them all...
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| Drifts of crocus, hyacinth and cyclamen Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| Grape hyacinth and daffodils Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| Peach tulips Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| Peach tulips backlit Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| Pink hyacinths Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| Pink Schizanthus (Poor Man's Orchid) Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| Red tulips Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| "Vanguard" crocus Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| "Vanguard" Crocus vernus Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| White and orange daffodil backlit Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| White daffodil Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| White daffodil detail backlit Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| White daffodils Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| Yellow daffodil Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| Yellow double daffodil Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
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| Zonal geraniums (Pelargonium x hortorum) Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show |
The next two plants are not part of the Spring Flower Show, per se, since they are not hardy and are found in another section of the Conservatory dedicated to "tropical' (to us) plants on permanent display. I was lucky to catch the African Iris (Dietes iridioides) in bloom and had to show you.
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| African Iris (Dietes iridioides) |
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| Agapanthus africanus "Albus" (White Lily of the Nile) |
The main entrance of the Conservatory leads into the "Palm House" and if one looks way up, you'll see the metal framework supporting the large dome and cupola. Palms and bananas frame this shot.
A different perspective for you to consider...
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| Allan Gardens Conservatory Palm House dome |
Want to see more spring blooms? Here are some links from the Spring Flower Show in previous years:
- Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2014: primulas, cinerarias, grape hyacinths
- Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2014: part two
- Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2013, part 3
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