Allan Gardens Conservatory Easter Flower Show 2014

Easter lilies, hydrangeas, primula and more!

With Easter right around the corner, those in love with florist hydrangeas and Easter lillies can get their fill at the Easter Flower Show. Not a whole lot blooming outside in Toronto right now, besides winter aconites, snowdrops and witch hazels but tulips and daffodils are breaking through!

Light blue purple Hydrangea macrophylla
Allan Gardens Conservatory
2014 Easter Flower Show

Hydrangea macrophylla "Libelle" (syn. Teller White)
 Allan Gardens Conservatory
2014 Easter Flower Show

 Allan Gardens Conservatory
2014 Easter Flower Show
 Light blue purple Hydrangea macrophylla 

Variegated Lacecap
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Mariesii'
with Easter lilies
Allan Gardens Conservatory
 Easter Flower Show

Pink red hortensia Hydrangea macrophylla
Allan Gardens Conservatory
2014 Easter Flower Show

Pink and light blue Hydrangea macrophylla
Allan Gardens Conservatory
2014 Easter Flower Show 

"Rose Edge" Primula acaulis
Allan Gardens Conservatory
2014 Easter Flower Show

Primula acaulis ‘Primera Wine Flame’
Allan Gardens Conservatory
2014 Easter Flower Show

White and purple crocus
Allan Gardens Conservatory
2014 Easter Flower Show 

 Allan Gardens Conservatory
2014 Easter Flower Show
seasonal container 

Pink hyacinths white azaleas red primula
Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014
 Easter Flower Show 

 Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014
Easter Flower Show
white narcissus and blue violas

"Dark Eyes" Verbascum  (Mullein)
Allan Gardens Conservatory
2014 Easter Flower Show 

Pink Verbascum, yellow African daisies
red tulips, blue violas
 Allan Gardens Conservatory
2014 Easter Flower Show

Red Kaufmann tulips
Allan Gardens Conservatory
2014 Easter Flower Show 

"Royale Purple Bicolor" Salpiglossis
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Easter Flower Show 2014

The following pictures are not Easter related but I couldn't resist sharing them with you. It's the first time I've seen Neomarica gracilis and it's certainly wonderful in its subtle way.

Apostle Plant or Walking Iris
(Neomarica gracilis)
Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Neomarica gracilis
(Apostle Plant or Walking Iris)
 Allan Gardens Conservatory

"High Voltage" tropical hibiscus
 Allan Gardens Conservatory 

The big ole hibiscus, anything but subtle, its variety name appropriate.

Allan Gardens Conservatory Easter Flower Show 2014: Easter lilies, hydrangeas, primula and more!

Written by Paul Jung on Apr 11 2014

With Easter right around the corner, those in love with florist hydrangeas and Easter lillies can get their fill at the Easter Flower Show. Not a whole lot blooming outside in Toronto right now, besides winter aconites, snowdrops and witch hazels but tulips and daffodils are breaking through!

Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2014: primulas, cinerarias, grape hyacinths

Toronto blooms (without the distracting home renovation booths)

Canada Blooms, I guess our country's national flower show, kicked off yesterday. I may join the hordes of flower-deprived gardeners but given the garden show simultaneously shares the same facilities with the "National Home Show", I haven't enjoyed myself. I found previous visits very commercial and there are only so many ways you can look at concrete pavers and retaining walls as aesthetically pleasing.

But I've been promised free tickets so we'll see...

My previous two posts displayed spring blooms at a local public conservatory's Spring flower show. With very few visitors during my visit (before last week's student spring break!), it was a quiet and peaceful experience.

I can guarantee that the same adjectives won't apply to Canada Blooms this weekend!

Muscari armeniacum  and
blue and pink cineraria
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Spring Flower Show 2014 

Primula malacoides
Allan Gardens Conservatory
  Spring Flower Show 2014 

Primula malacoides and P. aculis
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Spring Flower Show

Primula malacoides (Fairy primrose) detail
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Spring Flower Show

Primula polyanthus
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Spring Flower Show 2014

"Royale Red" Salpiglossis sinuata 
(Painted Tongue)
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Spring Flower Show 2014

Yellow crocus
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Spring Flower Show 2014

Yellow crocus and Florist's cineraria
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Spring Flower Show 2014

Florist's cineraria
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Spring Flower Show 2014 

Fairy primrose (Primula malacoides)
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Spring Flower Show 2014 

Pale blue grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) Florist's cineraria and Variegated Leopard plant
Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show

Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 
purple tulips, cineraria and foxglove

Purple tulips and schizanthus 
Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show  





Allan Gardens Conservatory
 Spring Flower Show 
narcissus and primula container 

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2011 Spring Flower Show

In need of some colour, quick!

After I visited a potential client this morning, I had some time to fill before picking up my kids. Allan Gardens Conservatory is nearby so I hopped in for a short visit. You can't beat the price of admission--free--and the greenhouse complex is easily reached by public transit.
  

What we want our garden bed to look like right now

Upon entering, I'm always hit by a smell of, I think, dormant oil spray. (I guess I'll always associate the place with this odour.) Does anyone else have this experience?

One section has rotating themes throughout the year and right now there are spring bulbs and perennials in bloom. To the right, this section of a bed presents a complementary contrast between the purple tulips and yellow pansies. (Sorry, there were no name tags detailing the cultivars so enjoy the pictures for now, there's no plant i.d. test at the end!) Spilling over the top is a variegated English Ivy tying the purple and yellow together. The daffodils bring up the rear while the phorium crashes the party and makes its presence known!

Could you not see this combination in a spring container?

Look at me, darn you!

I couldn't resist taking this shot of this primrose. She/he/it was among the gaudier of the others. The markings seem almost fluorescent and that halo is just...I love it! This little guy jumped at me from about 20 feet away it seemed. (Magenta and yellow tend to cause this or a migrane I guess.)

Another section of the Conservatory holds all the tender tropical plants that need high humidity and warmer temperatures.  I snapped this shot of Strongylodon macrobotrys or jade vine, a tropical vine native to the Phillipines.

Strongylodon macrobotrys (Jade Vine) 

My lousy pic during overcast conditions doesn't do justice to the flowers' glow. It's really a colour you don't expect to see walking through the greenhouse, your eyes drawn to the vibrant reds and yellows of the croton, alternanthera, and coleus. Then the blue says hello. And you smile.