Spring arrives early in Toronto!
Kind of. Sort of. To me, things don't really start to happen outside until late April after the snow and ice melt away and the soil becomes workable. We've received a good foot of snow since the beginning of March so there's no feeling that spring is anywhere close. It's a bit of a desperate time for Toronto gardeners right about now. Many feverishly look over their seed and bulb catalogues while others have sown their veggie crops in trying to get a head start. I don't bother with grow lights, soil mixes or damp off and prefer to see nice flowers in full bloom right now. The nearby Allan Gardens Conservatory is heaven s(c)ent in that regard.
 |
| 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show "Pink Charm" daffodil |
The 2016 Spring Flower Show has just started so I ambled over through the slush and snowbanks to take a quick look. Of course, all the bulbs like the daffodils, hyacinths and tulips have been forced to give us this show but one can easily get over this horticultural artifice and just enjoy the darn flowers.
The initial plantings include some narcissus and hyacinths. Masses of tulips will be planted soon, I'm sure, and I'll be back to show them to you later this month. While the Clivia, Agapanthus and some other plants shown in this post are not typical "spring bloomers", I'm sure you'll appreciate their colour and form at this stage of the year.
So, without further ado, let's go!
 |
| 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show "White Lion" daffodil |
 |
| Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile) 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile) Allan Gardens Conservatory 2016 Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Allan Gardens Conservatory 2016 Spring Flower Show "White Lion" daffodils |
 |
| Blue and pink hyacinths at the 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Clivia miniata Allan Gardens Conservatory 2016 Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Kaffir lily (Clivia miniata) Allan Gardens Conservatory 2016 Spring Flower Show |
 |
| "Pink Charm" narcissus/daffodils at the 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| "Red and White Windchimes" fuchsia blooms at the 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Schizanthus pinnatus (Angel wings) 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Schizanthus pinnatus (Angel wings) Allan Gardens Conservatory 2016 Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Schizanthus pinnatus (Poor Man's Orchid) 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Matthiola incana "Aida Blue" (Stock) 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Matthiola incana "Aida Blue" (Stocks) 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| "White Lion" daffodils 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| "White Lion" daffodils/ narcissus Allan Gardens Conservatory 2016 Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Yeddo hawthorn (Raphiolepis umbellata) Allan Gardens Conservatory 2016 Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Fuchsia "Pink Marshmallow" blooms Allan Gardens Conservatory 2016 Spring Flower Show |
 |
| 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show "Pink Charm" daffodils/narcissus |
 |
| 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show "White Lion" daffodils/ narcissus |
 |
| Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile) Allan Gardens 2016 Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Allan Gardens Conservatory 2016 Spring Flower Show "Pink Charm" daffodils massed |
 |
| Blue and pink hyacinths 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Clivia miniata blooms 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Clivia miniata (Kaffir lily) Allan Gardens Conservatory 2016 Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Leda and a spring container at the 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Poor Man's Orchid (Schizanthus pinnatus) 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| "Red and White Windchimes" Fuchsia flowers 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Schizanthus pinnatus (Angel wings) Allan Gardens 2016 Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Schizanthus pinnatus at the 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Spring container at the 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Matthiola incana "Aida Blue" (Stocks) Allan Gardens Conservatory 2016 Spring Flower Show |
 |
| "Pink Marshmallow" Fuchsia blooms 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| "White Lion" daffodil/narcissus massed 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Yeddo hawthorn (Raphiolepis umbellata) 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
 |
| Fuchsia "Pink Marshmallow" blooms 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
Want to see more highlights of the Spring Flower Show from previous years? Here are some convenient links to some of my blog posts from past springs:
- Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2015 (part three): Toronto's other Flower Show
- Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2014: primulas, cinerarias, grape hyacinths: Toronto blooms (without the distracting home renovation booths)
- Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2013: part two. More Toronto blooms under glass
- Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2013, part 3. Toronto spring blooms to get you through until April
No comments:
Post a Comment