Enough With the Winter Interest, Let's See Some Flowers!
Another Toronto winter is drawing to a close, which is good news to the Jung household when it comes to paying the heating bills. (We had extremely bitter cold weather over the Christmas holidays into the first week of 2018 so receiving the gas bill covering that time was also extremely bitter!)
The witch hazel blooms have come and gone in our backyard and only the hellebores are trying to emerge for us. But even they seem to know better, that in March here anything can happen with the weather: another big snowfall and/or a plummet in temperatures.
In other words, no colour to show you from the outside gardens.
But from the inside....
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| "Altruist" Narcissus at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
The 2018 version of Allan Gardens Conservatory's Spring Flower Show is underway until April 29 and is much appreciated by locals and out of town visitors. During my recent short visit (the Conservatory isn't large so it's perfect to spend 30 to 60 minutes taking in the sights and scents of the seasonal and permanent plant displays), I went "snap-crazy" with the camera and have posted these pictures for your enjoyment.
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| Apricot daffodils and purple tulips at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
Canada Blooms (or known simply as "Blooms" as in "are you going to Blooms this year?") is the much bigger and more well-known national flower show occurring now as well in Toronto but I've lost interest in attending about 3 years ago. I can't take "pretty" pictures as I find the artificial spot lighting casts many shadows in the exhibition halls (one wag described her visit as "Canada Glooms" which I thought was snarky but completely accurate.) I simply much prefer shooting in natural light. And you're here reading this because it's likely you enjoy seeing nice pictures of silly flowers (or was it silly pictures of nice flowers?)
I won't criticize the landscaping companies who spend big dollars to display their elaborate show gardens and patios in the hope of recovering their marketing costs (and then some) through new sales. As a small business owner, I completely get it. As a visitor interested in small-scaled horticulture and garden design, however, I didn't get it.
Anyway, let's get back to what the Allan Gardens Conservatory has to offer for the next month or so until the much-anticipated Easter Flower Show rolls around.
And you don't have to shell out 20 bucks and endure the hordes of sales people to enjoy these spring blooms!
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| Blue Cineraria at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Camellia japonica (Japanese Camellia) at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| "Chromacolor" narcissus at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Grape Hyacinths (Pseudomuscari azureum) at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Matthiola incana (Stocks) at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Muscari armeniacum "Valerie Finnis" grape hyacinths at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Osteospermum "Spider White" South African Daisy at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Pale blue grape hyacinths and pink Schizanthus at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Pale yellow daffodils at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Pale yellow narcissus at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| "Plum Paisley" Begonia at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
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| "Plum Paisley" Begonia at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Pale blue Pseudomuscari azureum (Grape Hyacinths) at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Purple tulips and apricot daffodils at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
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| Purple tulips and apricot daffodils at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Purple tulips and white daffodils at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
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| Purple tulips at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
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| Purple tulips at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Red primrose (Primula) at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Salpiglossis sinuata "Purple Royal" (Painted Tongue) at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Schizanthus (Butterfly Flower) at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| "Spider White" Osteospermum (South African Daisy) at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Spring container with Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Spring containers and wrought iron bench at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Various Cineraria at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| White and yellow daffodils at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| White and yellow narcissus at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| White daffodil at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| "Thalia" triandus daffodils and English Ivy at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Yellow Primula (primrose) at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
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| Yellow South African Daisy at the 2018 Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show |
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| Yellow South African Daisy at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show |
