Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2014

Toronto gets blooming early!

And I'm not referring to Canada Blooms, the national (some consider) flower show, held next month. Tucked between New Year's Day and "Blooms", as the locals call it, the downtown Conservatory puts on its yearly Spring Flower Show with much less fanfare. Sorry, no opening night galas or celebrity speakers. But if you're in the mood for a quick hit of colour, warmth and tranquility, Allan Gardens Conservatory is for you. It's very accessible by public transit and admission is free as well.

I live close by and spent a quiet hour or so taking these pictures, among others.  If you're stuck in the middle of a harsh winter like I am and would like to see "purty flowers" instead of dead browny bits of 2013's vegetation (aka "winter interest"), here you go:

Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2014 yellow daffodils.
Signs of things to come, you have to trust me on this one!

(Just a note: the following pictures are "cyclamen and daffodil" heavy. I imagine tulips, paperwhites, squill, grape hyacinths, etc.,  will be planted later as the show progresses. I'll post more pictures later. For now, enjoy the following:)

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014 Spring Flower Show cyclamen 

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014 Spring Flower Show
cyclamen and dusty miller 

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014 Spring Flower Show
cyclamen massed 

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014 Spring Flower Show
cyclamen  persicum "stirling"

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014 Spring Flower Show
  cyclamen persicum 

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014 Spring Flower Show
 cyclamens 

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014 Spring Flower Show
 pink cyclamen 

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014 Spring Flower Show
pink "Stirling" cyclamen

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014 Spring Flower Show
white cyclamen persicum

Cyclamen persicum "En Vogue Purple"
Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014 Spring Flower Show

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014 Spring Flower Show
yellow daffodils 

Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2014 daffodils 

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Spring Flower Show 2014
Helleborus niger "Jacob"

Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 2014
 "Jacob" Christmas Rose

Helleborus niger "Jacob" at
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 2014 

These orchids are not part of the Spring show, per se, but they're beautiful nonetheless. (If you happen to know the genus and species, let me know and I'll update.)

Phalaenopsis white moth orchid 
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2014 Spring Flower Show 

Phalaenopsis pink moth orchid 
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2014 Spring Flower Show 

Cattleya labiata semi-alba 
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2014 Spring Flower Show 

White moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) 
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2014 Spring Flower Show

Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2014 Spring Flower Show
"Vectis Glitter" pelargonium 

When you hear "geranium" you may think of the annuals sold by the flats every Mother's Day weekend at your local garden centre. They're more accurately named Pelargonium instead of (perennial) Geranium. I had to google to determine this type of tender zonal geranium. The pink and red flecks and venation is very cool. The cultivar is called "Vectis Glitter" and the full botanical name for those plant geeks out there is Pelargonium x hortorum "Vectis Glitter".

Do me a favour: don't plant these encircling a dracaena spike in your container.

"Vectis glitter" pelargonium 
or zonal geranium at
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2014 Spring Flower Show

Farewell to the winter that wasn't

Toronto snowdrops and epimedium emerge

With temperatures hitting the mid and upper teens (Celsius) this week in Toronto, it seems like bulbs and buds (makes for a nice landscaping company name) are in overdrive to open. We had so little snow this winter that it doesn't feel like we even had one. Not a typical Toronto winter but no complaints here!

Spring ephemerals are out and about and since I promised you last post that I would show some snowdrop pictures, well, here they are: 

A drift of snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)

Detail of  a clump of nice clean white snowdrops

These were taken at a client's shady backyard in the midst of a garden cleanup. I'm not the world's biggest fan of spring bulbs/corms but I would miss these little guys, along with crocus and grape hyacinth. When everything else is brown, they provide welcome colour with very little maintenance.

Let the unfurling of the hellebores begin!

Hellebores are getting ready too! Since my client wasn't home, I couldn't verify if this was Helleborus orientalis or x hybridus although I suppose it shouldn't matter. I cut away the diseased leaves from last year to expose the purplish emerging foliage and flowers. There are four clumps so this will be a nice show soon!

Clumps of barrenwort (Epimedium grandiflorum) relatively
 unscathed from winter damage

I don't see barrenwort (Epimedium sp.) enough in other peoples' gardens so it's a treat to see them here. The leaves came through the winter without severe damage so I didn't prune them heavily. I poked around the base and saw buds protruding--a good sign for another successful Epimedium show. 

Fun/silly fact: This genus is also called "horny goat weed" or "rowdy lamb herb." 

Use this information as you will...