Centennial Park Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2015

More spring blooms in Etobicoke (under glass)

Toronto is not experiencing higher temperatures (say, above 60 degrees F. or 10 degrees C.) yet. Even tulips and daffodils are reluctant to emerge, although I did see a few winter aconites flower nearby. Most local gardeners, I suspect, are winter-weary, just aching to see some colour outside.

Several posts ago I showed some highlights from my recent visit to a local Conservatory to catch its Spring Flower Show ( you can click here: Centennial Park Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show ). I'll finish up with the remaining photos from that visit in this post.

I feel it's going to be one of those springs in Toronto in which the temperatures will zoom from about 5 to 20 degrees Celsius overnight. If that's the case, we should be seeing flowers and foliage exploding all over the city soon. 

Come on spring! Don't be coy!

Blue pink hyacinths at the
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show
 Tulipa "Green Wave" Parrot tulips 

Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show
white freesia 

Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show
white freesias

Centennial Park Conservatory
 2015 Spring Flower Show
 yellow daffodil 

"Fancy Frills" fringed tulip at the
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show

Fritillaria imperialis (Crown Imperial) at the
  Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Grape hyacinths (Muscari "Peppermint")
at the Centennial Park Conservatory
 2015 Spring Flower Show

"Green Wave" Parrot tulip
at theCentennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

"Green Wave" Parrot tulips at the
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show

Pale blue freesia a the
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show
 

Red freesia and kumquat at the
 Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Red Kaufman tulips at the
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Red, white and pink tulips
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Red and yellow tulips at the
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Salpiglossis sinuata at the
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show

Tulipa "Gavota" Triumph tulips at the
Centennial Park Conservatory
 2015 Spring Flower Show

Yellow Clivia minuata at the
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Yellow freesia at the
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Centennial Park Conservatory
 2015 Spring Flower Show
red freesia 

Yellow hyacinths and red tulips at the
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show

Centennial Park Conservatory 2015 Spring Flower Show

Spring blooms in Etobicoke (under glass)

"What am I going to do with the kids during March break this year?" was a question that many parents in Toronto had to grapple with.  After a couple days of  being couch zombies staring at their devices, enough was enough.  So, off to another Flower Show!

Tulipa "Green Wave" Parrot tulips 
Centennial Park Conservatory 
2015 Spring Flower Show 

We, Torontonians, are spoiled with having two Conservatories that:

• offer seasonal flower shows
• charge no admission fee
• accessible by public transit

I've written many times about my visits to the Allan Gardens Conservatory which is very close to home but there is another "sister" Conservatory in the west side of Toronto called the Centennial Park Conservatory which also holds similar seasonal flower shows. (Here's my post from the Centennial Park Conservatory's 2014 Spring Flower Show ). 

It's a bit of a trek to get out there by subway and bus but the kids and I did it anyway. It was quid pro quo: I got to take some nice pictures of spring blooms and the kids got to eat at their favourite restaurant. Kind of a win-win-win:

• I experienced more wonderful blooms without having to run through a gauntlet of vendors shilling this and that
• my kids received some visual stimulation that didn't originate from a screen
• you take in some more pictures of pretty flowers (I just wish you were able to smell the hyacinths and freesias. Absolutely divine!)

Isn't spring wonderful?

"Fancy Frills" fringed tulip
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show

Pale blue freesias
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Pale yellow narcissus (daffodil)
 Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Pale yellow narcissus (daffodils)
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Pink freesia
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show

Purple tulips
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show

Red freesia
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Red tulips
Centennial Park Conservatory
 2015 Spring Flower Show 

Red and white tulips (a kumquat tree tucked behind)
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Tulipa "Fancy Frills" fringed tulip
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show

Tulipa "Gavota" Triumph tulips
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show

Tulipa "Green Wave" Parrot tulip
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

Tulipa "Green Wave" Parrot tulips
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

"Voltage" yellow Osteospermum (African daisy)
 Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

White freesia
 Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show

White freesias
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show

White and red freesias
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show 

White tulips
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015 Spring Flower Show

Crown Imperial (Fritillaria imperialis)
Centennial Park Conservatory
2015  Spring Flower Show 

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2013 Easter Flower Show | part one

Well, at least it's blooming here in Toronto!

Inside of course. 

Winter is sloooowly leaving us and we may reach double digit (Celsius) temperatures next week. I'm seeing a flood of florist mophead hydrangeas in supermarkets and  hardware stores in blue, pink, white and variations. Easter is around the corner so Easter lilies are ubiquitous as well. Outside, tips of tulips, crocus and daffodils are poking up.

The Allan Gardens Conservatory in Toronto exhibits five types of flower shows each year, free of charge. Since the focus is on plants (annuals and tropicals) and not interlocking brick or McMansion boulder arrangements, I wonder why anyone would rather go to Canada Blooms than this inner-city horticultural jewel. True, the area is kind of sketchy (nice Harveys down the street, wink!) and the city staff don't make eye contact with you but you're there for the plants, not to be accosted by hot tub and hot sauce salespeople.

I digress.

During my visit today, the mass plantings of tender hydrangeas and Easter lilies were not fully in bloom yet so I'll have to go back in a week or so. In the meantime, please enjoy these pictures of  hydrangeas, daffodils, cyclamen and a blooming rhodo.

Wishing you a happy Easter for those who celebrate (and a good long weekend for those who don't!)

Variegated lacecaps, blue mopheads and variegated English ivy

White mopheads, blue variegated lacecaps and variegated English ivy

Blue lacecaps with white florets

A blooming (Catawba?) mauve rhododendron

Poet's Daffodil (Narcissus poeticus) at 
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Easter Flower Show 2013

A composition of deep blue (and fragrant!) hyacinths, pale blue agapanthus, egg-yolk yellow primula, nestled among asparagus fern (?)
A contrast of  colours and textures

The pink is much more vibrant in real life: the halo around the yellow just kills me!

This should satisfy the delphinium masochists out there

Same grouping as above from the other side of the bed: the pink cyclamen cheers things up

Your spring container?

Down one path...

From the other side: you can imagine the smell coming off this drift of blue hyacinths!

A simple pastel palette, perfect for Easter

By Paul Jung, author of "garden muses: a Toronto gardening blog"Google Google Find us on Google+ Find us on Google+