11.1.19

The 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show

Winter 2018-9: It's Over but Not Really


We're firmly into 2019 and all of the holiday eating and drinking excesses are distant memories, expanded waistlines notwithstanding. There are plenty of gardening opportunities for Toronto gardeners now: many are poring over seed catalogues, going to lectures and planning for the veggie garden in a few months. I'm on my annual hiatus from December to March and so far I'm catching up on things for which I don't have the time for during the busy work season like reading and writing for pleasure. And for me, strangely, this means not reading about gardening.

With getting ready for Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations and overall procrastination, I put off seeing the local Allan Gardens Conservatory's Winter Flower Show, version 2018. Finally, I had the itch to see some seasonal (indoor) colour so I grabbed my camera and coffee and walked over to the Conservatory. I was fortunate to record the remnants of the Winter Flower Show yesterday as it was officially the last day of the Show.  (It's confusing to have a Winter Flower Show end on January 9 but I digress...)

The recent Winter Flower Show was similar to Christmas Flower Shows (that's what they were called until a few months ago) of the past: mass plantings of poinsettias, cyclamen, ornamental cabbage and azaleas with many "topiaries" mixed in. So if you're not sick of seeing poinsettias, this post should still be enjoyable!




2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show massed poinsettias and succulent topiaries by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter
Flower Show massed poinsettias
and succulent topiaries


Massed poinsettias and succulent topiaries at the  2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Massed poinsettias and succulent topiaries
at the  2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show


Mistletoe and three containers at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
"Mistletoe" and three containers at the
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show 


2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show massed cyclamen and ivy by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show
massed cyclamen and ivy


2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show massed ornamental cabbage, cyclamen and ivy by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show massed
ornamental cabbage, cyclamen and ivy



2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show massed red azaleas and ornamental cabbage by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show massed red azaleas
and ornamental cabbage



2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show pink cyclamen closeup by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter
Flower Show pink cyclamen closeup 


2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show White double Amaryllis Hippeastrum flower by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter
Flower Show White double Amaryllis
(Hippeastrum) flower 


2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show white hellebore flower closeup by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show white hellebore
flower closeup 



Floral cottage at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Floral "cottage" at the 2018 Allan
Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show 



Magnolia leaf topiary and model train at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Magnolia leaf topiary and model train
at the 2018 Allan Gardens
Conservatory Winter Flower Show



Magnolia leaf topiary at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Magnolia leaf topiary at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show 



Massed cyclamen, dusty miller and ivy at the  2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Massed cyclamen, dusty miller and ivy
at the  2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show 



Massed white azaleas and ornamental kale at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Massed white azaleas and ornamental kale
at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show 



Pink cyclamen at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Pink cyclamen at the 2018 Allan Gardens
Conservatory Winter Flower Show 


While the seasonal Show arrangements were nice and cute as usual, I never leave the Conservatory without visiting the Conservatory's "tropical" rooms or "(green)houses". Here are a few pictures of very non-hardy plants for us and, if you concentrate enough, you may even feel a little heat and humidity coming off your screen:


2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show Brunfelsia grandiflora blooms by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter
Flower Show Brunfelsia grandiflora blooms



2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show closeup of Flowering maple Abutilon flower by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show closeup of
Flowering maple (Abutilon) flower 



2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show magenta Phalaenopsis by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show magenta Phalaenopsis 


2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show pink Phalaenopsis topiary by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter
Flower Show pink Phalaenopsis topiary 


2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show poinsettias and tropical plants by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter
Flower Show poinsettias and tropical plants


Black tropical Hibiscus rosa sinensis hybrid bloom 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Black tropical Hibiscus rosa sinensis
hybrid bloom 2018 Allan Gardens
Conservatory Winter Flower Show 



Cattleya labiata semi alba orchid at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Cattleya labiata semi alba orchid
at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show 



Massed Phalaenopsis topiary at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Massed Phalaenopsis topiary at
the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show 


Massed tropical plants and ponisettias at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Massed tropical plants and ponisettias at
 the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show 



"Sweetheart" Cymbidium at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
"Sweetheart" Cymbidium
at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show 


Red and white Guzmania bromeliad at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Red and white Guzmania bromeliad at
the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show


Pink Phalaenopsis topiary detail at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Pink Phalaenopsis topiary detail at the
2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show


Amazon Lily Eucharis × grandiflora blooms at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Flower Show by garden muses--not another Toronto gardening blog
Amazon Lily (Eucharis × grandiflora) blooms
at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Winter Flower Show 


Seeing the wonderful tropical blooms and getting toasty and warm reminded me of the several family trips to the Caribbean. And, of course, such pleasant memories were annihilated once I left the Conservatory and walked back home, head down, into the biting January wind  originating from the Arctic.

While the Winter Flower Show has officially ended, Toronto's occasionally brutal winter has just begun.

  

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