Some Tropical Colour Inside Toronto's Allan Gardens Conservatory

Baby, It's Warm Inside

Outside, not so much as the struggle for higher spring temperatures is real here in Toronto. 


My previous post titled "The Allan Gardens Conservatory 2018 Spring Flower Show: Enough With the Winter Interest, Let's See Some Flowers!" gave you a ton of colour by showing some highlights from the 2018 Spring Flower Show: masses of hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, grape hyacinths, Salpiglossis (Painted Tongues) and Schizanthus. 

Here's a reminder:

Schizanthus and Pale blue grape hyacinths
 at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2018 Spring Flower Show 

If you ever visited the Conservatory with a camera, you'd know that are many other photo opportunities besides the seasonal displays. I couldn't help taking these pictures making up this post. The source of these flowers are from the Conservatory "permanent" collection of tropical plants which are not moved around during the seasonal Flower Shows.

As spring slowly arrives this year, these shots remind me of hot and humid days in July and August even though outside the glass panes now, it's anything but.

African Senna or Candelabra Tree flowers 
(Senna didymobotrya) at the 
Allan Gardens Conservatory

African Senna flowers Candelabra Tree 
(Senna didymobotrya) at the 
Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia) 
at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Bird of Paradise flower (Sterlitzia reginae) 
at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Brassocattleya maiki "Mayumi" orchid 
at Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Brassocattleya maiki "Mayumi" orchid 
at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Brazilian Tree Fern (Blechnum brasiliense) 
emerging fronds with white Bougainvillea 
petals at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Brugmansia (Angel's Trumpet) 
at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Calliandra haematocephala (Powderpuff) 
flower  at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Light purple Cattleya orchid hybrid 
at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Pachystachys lutea 
(Golden Shrimp Plant or Lollipop Plant) 
at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Rhyncholaeliocattleya George King 'Serendipity' 
orchid at Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Rhyncholaeliocattleya George King 'Serendipity' 
orchid at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Yesterday,Today,Tomorrow (Brunfelsia pauciflora) 
at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Happy Phalaentines!

The Love Affair with Moth Orchids

Valentine's Day 2018 is fast approaching and since I can't offer you, dear reader, a dozen roses and assorted chocolates, how about a dozen or so pictures of orchids?

Etobicoke's Centennial Park Conservatory 
Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid hybrid 

It's a tough time for me as a gardener in Toronto as the middle of February offers no respite from snow, slush, horrible windchills and so on. I'm not the type to order and read seed catalogues by the fireplace; in fact, currently I'm reading books about many non-gardening topics like marketing, design and Japanese fiction. I just don't find spending hours reading about constructing compost bins, growing chickens in the city and maximizing your backyard vegetable yields particularly exciting or beautiful.

Etobicoke's Centennial Park Conservatory 
Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid white hybrid 

What do I find beautiful at this time of the year? As you surely have ascertained at this point of the post, orchids!

Phalaenopsis "Harlequin" Moth Orchid 
at the Centennial Park Conservatory 

I'm not an orchid collector or grower but I can completely understand how and why many apparently rational and sane people lose their rationality and sanity buying, growing and showing off their babies as I was the same with hostas many years ago. 

(Erik Hansen wrote a very funny and yet at times sad book detailing the madness of some orchid growers titled "A Horticultural Tale of Love, Lust, and Lunacy" which I've read and reviewed here. You don't even have to like orchids to enjoy reading it as the themes cover any obsession we have!)

If our house wasn't so drafty and dry in the winter, I likely would keep an few orchids around but, to be honest, I much rather take pictures of orchids than actually growing them. And why not? Orchids are so photogenic and practically dare you not taking a picture of them when they're happy blooming away in warm and humid conditions.

Phalaenopsis "Harlequin" Moth Orchid hybrid 
at the Centennial Park Conservatory

"Warm and humid" growing conditions in Toronto right now are rare and likely to occur inside greenhouses and conservatories. Two local conservatories I visit regularly always have more than a few orchids blooming away so recently I carried my camera in the hope of capturing some pictures. Lucky for me, these orchids were happy to accommodate!

Phalaenopsis hybrid at the 
Centennial Park Conservatory

Most of today's pictures show the orchid you're most likely familiar with: the moth orchid or Phalaenopsis. You see these hybrids on sale almost anywhere: grocery stores, home improvement and warehouse shopping stores, your local floral shop and of course, garden centers. I'm amazed how plants so beautiful (in bloom of course) are so common and inexpensive to the point of being commodities. I realize, of course, these are due to the fact that Phalaenopsis can be commercially propagated easily by tissue culture.

(If you want to dive into the fascinating world of Phalaenopsis propagation, click on this PDF created for the American Orchid Society: "Growing the Best Phalaenopsis" by Runkle et al. I was surprised how quickly I recalled all those terms from my botany and horticulture classes from eons ago!)

Phalaenopsis hybrid at 
Etobicoke's Centennial Park Conservatory 

Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid 
at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid hybrid 
at Etobicoke's Centennial Park Conservatory 

Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid hybrid 
at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid hybrid 
at the Centennial Park Conservatory 

Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid hybrids 
at the Centennial Park Conservatory 

Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid magenta hybrid 
at the Allan Gardens Conservatory

Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid purple and white hybrid 
at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Purple and white Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid hybrid 
at the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Here's excellent information about keeping your Phalaenopsis happy at home by the American Orchid Society: Novice Phalaenopsis Culture Sheet

Wait, there's more!

If you're tired of looking at moth orchids at this point, I've included the following orchids which were begging to be photographed during the same visit to the Allan Gardens Conservatory.

 At the Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Cymbidium insigne "Sweetheart"

Cymbidium insigne "Sweetheart" at the 
Allan Gardens Conservatory

Cymbidium insigne "Sweetheart" at 
the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Angraecum spp. Orchid at 
the Allan Gardens Conservatory 

Allan Gardens Conservatory's 2016 Chrysanthemum Show

Fall in Toronto: mums, pumpkins and tropical hibiscus

We're very firmly entrenched in another Toronto autumn with Hallowe'en just around the corner, so what's this about hibiscus?

Such a combination comes together right now within the cozy confines of the Allan Gardens Conservatory during its annual autumn chrysanthemum show.

I confess that "mums" aren't my favourite flowers, especially these type of "floral muffins ("mum-fins"?)" seen everywhere in the city over the past month:

They do bridge the time between frost-zapped summer plantings and Christmas arrangements in containers but while they can handle periodic nips of frost, there's little grace in their form. And they look lousy once the flowers turn brown so the solution for most homeowners is to toss them out during compost pickup day.

On the other end of the spectrum are the Show or Exhibition Chrysanthemums which are babied and fussed over to perfection, like this diva:

White incurve chrysanthemum at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
 Fall Chrysanthemum Show

I spent a few hours one morning last week at the Conservatory enjoying this year's Chrysanthemum Show. (It runs until November 6 if you're in the Toronto area and want to drop by.)  The theme this year seems to me "autumn's harvest" so while I'll miss not seeing Hello Kitty who graced our presence during last year's show, there were lots of pumpkins to get us into the seasonal mood.

Here are some highlights showing some of the more than 80 varieties of show mums, according to the Conservatory's Facebook page. Labels of cultivar names are rarely provided for visitors by the Conservatory so if you have a gripe...

(A great resource for all things Chrysanthemum is the National Chrysanthemum Society's website. You can learn about the 13 classifications of Show Mums and throw out terms like "incurve" or "reflex" during your next dinner party and see where it leads!)

Awwww, you love your mum too?

Getting ready for Hallowe'en 
with this "mum-o-latern"

How can I describe her skirt? 
"Gaudy?" "Gourdy?"

I really enjoy how the flowers are massed for maxi-"mum" (sorry) effect. While flower shows are not really about gardening (maybe more about floral arts, floriculture or floristry), you can still take home the message of a good garden design principle or two to avoid the rookie mistake of buying and placing one plant here, another there.

Or, as I like to tell my clients, "let's fill that bed up!"

Massed mums on display at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show 

Massed orange and yellow chrysanthemums at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show

Massed orange and yellow mums at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show 

Massed white mums on display at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show

Masses of white and orange single mums at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show

Orange and red single chrysanthemums at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show

"Your friendly neighbourhood Spidermum..."

Orange anemone chrysanthemum at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show 

Orange spider mums at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show 

Pale purple loose incurve mum at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show 

I know it's just me but I see dollops of rich butter here

Pink incurve chrysanthemum at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show 

Mums in the pumpkin patch or vice versa?

Purple centred white single mums at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
 Fall Chrysanthemum Show

Purple incurve mums at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
 Fall Chrysanthemum Show 

Soft yellow incurve chrysanthemum at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show 

In case you're wondering, the background 
is the stem of a huge banana tree. 
Hey, I'm trying to be artsy!

White and purple single mums at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show

Some autumnal fireworks

White spider chrysanthemum at 2016 
Allan Gardens Conservatory  
Fall Chrysanthemum Show 

White spoon chrysanthemums at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
  Fall Chrysanthemum Show 

Yellow incurve chrysanthemum at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show 

Yellow single chrysanthemums at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show 

Yellow spider chrysanthemum at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Chrysanthemum Show

"Flowers" composed of flowers, very meta!

"Harvesting" ornamental cabbage and kale. I like his hat!

Farmer mannequin at 2016
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Fall Mum Show 

If you're still not dazed yet and want to see more mums from previous flower shows at the Conservatory, here are some links to my older posts:

• Maxi-"mum" cuteness at the 2015 Allan Gardens Conservatory Fall Chrysanthemum Show: How some cats stole a flower show

• The Allan Gardens Conservatory 2014 Fall Chrysanthemum Show: I swear on me (fall) mum, it's a fantastic show!

• Allan Gardens Conservatory Chrysanthemum Show 2013: Mum's the word!

Memories of the Caribbean

We can all have too much of a good thing so having my fill of mums for this year, I walked a few meters into one of the Conservatory's tropical hot house rooms hoping to see some flowers in bloom. It's been about a year since Linda and I went on a cruise to ports of call like St. Lucia, Barbados, and St. Maarten so memories of Caribbean flowers are still fresh on my mind. Lucky for me (and you, dear reader), some hibiscus and shrimp plants were accommodating!

Golden Shrimp Plant (Pachystachys lutea)

Pachystachys lutea cultivar (Golden Shrimp Plant) 

Pale orange tropical Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower 

Pink tropical Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower

Spider lily (Hymenocallis longipetala) blooms 

Tropical hibiscus rosa-sinensis double flower

Tropical Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower 

Red tropical Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower