Sunday, October 24, 2010

Colour in the City for Mosaic Monday

 

The Toronto Botanical Gardens, located at Leslie Street and Lawrence Avenue W. in Toronto is one of my favourite places to visit.   You know that when you arrive you are going to see lots of colour and ideas that you can incorporate in your garden.   You may not be able to plant those exact plants because Toronto is a Canadian Zone 6.  Many plants do very well that would not be possible in my 4B garden.   However, it is always interesting to see what is growing there.  The day I was there last week the volunteers were madly planting up boxes of bulbs for the spring show.   The ornamental grasses were looking amazing swaying in the nippy breeze.  A fellow Master Gardener, Lynne and I took a look around the grounds to see what was still in bloom.   At one point I came around a fence to come upon some gorgeous white Iris.   I was taken aback as this is not a usual sight.   Iris grow in spring here not fall but there they were.   In a rose garden my roses were finished for the year but I did find some blooming happily anyway.    I was in awe of the Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Early Amethyst’ a purple Beautyberry shrub.   I have never seen one before but I will never forget the glorious deep purple berries just loaded on the stems.  

TBG mosiac

I am joining Mary at DearLittleRedHouse for Mosiac Monday.   I hope to see you there.   Have a great week.   It is going to rain all week here.   If you are in Ontario you know that Monday is a day to vote in your Municipality.   It is your right to vote so please do.   I will be working at one of our local polls.   Valerie

26 comments:

eileeninmd said...

The gardens looks like a wonderful place to visit. The flowers are gorgeous. The local botantical gardens is one of my favorite places too.

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Hi Val
I would really like a Callicarpa for my yard - for obvious reasons. I didn't know the TBG had one - wonder if it would survive here?
Enjoyed all the flowers you saw and shared.
Judith

A Garden of Threads said...

Wonderful late bloomers for the garden, I would love to have iries blooming in the fall garden. See you at the poll.

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

I've never heard of a purple beautyberry bush...these shots are so gorgeous...I didn't realize that you were a Master Gardner...a very nice distinction!!! Have a wonderful week.

Snap said...

I love botanical gardens! Beautful flowers.

Carol said...

What a gorgeous place to visit! Your mosaic is so pretty!

Vee said...

I wish that I had access to such a garden. You must hang out there as often as you are able. Gorgeous flowers!

Millie said...

It would be fun to visit those gardens. Your photos are very colorful.

EG CameraGirl said...

NICE, Valerie!

By the way, I have a Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Early Amethyst’ growing on the east side of our garage and it had berries for the first time this year. I bet you can grow it too. :)

Unknown said...

It's supposed to rain all week here as well. :( Love the flowers. :) My thumb is not that green but I do love to look. I love the flower in the post below too! Beautiful!!

Pondside said...

Lovely shots!
We still have roses blooming madly beside the pond - a lovely splash of pink in the rain.
A belated Happy Birthday!

agreenearth said...

What a special garden.

BernieH said...

Lovely mosaic ... those white Irises are just beautiful! The roses are so gorgeous ... loved the pink and cream one. The Callicarpa is such a beautiful colour.

A Bit of the Blarney said...

Wonderful! The iris are just gorgeous!!! Have a grand day! Cathy

Sue said...

Wonderful shots of blooming color! I am not a gardener, so I really admire and appreciate the handiwork of those that have "the touch." I am having a bit of landscaping done in our front yard and I told the architect that I wanted a "no-care" garden. LOL -He will still have to instruct me as to some care, I know.

Carol at Serendipity said...

Valerie,

Beautiful mosaic. This year I hope to visit some gardens in Florida.

Thanks for sharing and have a great week.

Carol

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have iris blooming now! We have a neighbor a few doors away that have some blooming too. I'll have to see if I can find out the variety.

Lovely mosaic!

Karen said...

Valerie, thank you for the burst of color this gloomy Monday. (It's raining here, too) A white iris blooming this late in the season would definitely be welcome! All the flowers are so pretty.

Sue McPeak said...

Beautiful shots of the last bit of color for the season. Here in Texas it's MUM Time and they are so beautiful. Thanks for stopping by CollectInTexas Gal to see my Pumpkin DisPlay!

Molly Anne said...

The flowers are all looking gorgeous! I think we are getting rain all week here too. Guess I won't be finishing up my own gardening yet!

Shirley said...

Your first snow was Friday and ours was yesterday here in Edmonton. I guess it is rather normal for this time of year, though I'd hoped it would stay away longer, like until Christmas!

An iris blooming in October? That is unheard of here in zone 3b. I wonder if that is normal in Toronto?

Rajesh said...

Beautiful collection of flowers.

Georgianna said...

I'd love to visit the Toronto Botanical Gardens one day, Valerie. How amazing to find a white iris! I went out yesterday to discover our Rhododendron "Cheer" had put out several blooms – I still can't figure that one out! Have a great week. – g

Rettabug said...

Hi Valerie (my DD's name, too!)

Lovely mosaic with the white iris...must make a note to try to plant some of those. They look soooo elegant!

Can't believe you've had snow already. ugh! I'm never ready for it to arrive.

Thanks for stopping by...come back soon to see my Pumpkin Party!

Meri said...

Don't you just adore visiting botanical gardens? There's always a feast of colors and textures, sizes and shapes.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I love your title...color in the city! How lovely...mosaics are so much fun for putting our best photos together! ♥

Hoping You Have a Blessed Easter