Monday, September 27, 2010

Tip toeing through the Tulips

From mid-September to mid-October Canberra, like many centres with cold winters, becomes a mini-Netherlands with several towns in the area producing beautiful displays of tulips in their public and private Gardens. Floriade, in Commonwealth Park, Canberra is renowned throughout the country for its massed gardens of tulips, hyacinths, pansies, and many other flowers.


The flower beds are cleared away, soil and all, at the end of Floriade each year, and then re-built and planted the following autumn in time for blooming the following Spring.


However, another display which is rapidly gaining prominence during this time is at the Tulip Top Gardens, a few kms north of Canberra. These gardens actually appeal to Richard and I more than Floriade does. We visited there yesterday and took just a few photos....lol.

Avenue of Snow Pears and Crab Apples. The latter are still only in bud so we hope to go out again in a few days as they will be magnificent in flower.

The Willows too will be more in leaf in a few days.

Japonicas and Flowering Peach trees add to the delight of these gardens.

Wallflowers and Forsythia

The flowering peaches were breathtaking, especially multi-coloured pinks and whites.

A few deep red Crab Apples were more advanced than other.

Wide pathways and grassed areas meant plenty of room to wander at leisure.

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6 comments:

RachelD said...

Oh, what a HEAVEN-Land you live in! I've just scanned down the page, drinking in all the colors and shapes, without focusing on any one picture---well, maybe the one of the pink tulips like Florabunda roses---are they TRIPLES?

The kettle's on the boil, and soon as I get this pot of tea made, I'm coming back to just look my eyes full. Just stunning, as always, Alice---if I lived near, I'd be there every day.

rachel

BernieH said...

Simply stunning ... I've always wanted to see the Floriade and now your photos have convinced me that it's a must-do before too many more years pass. Beautiful photos!

Ellie said...

Wow, that simply looks amazing. All those colors - it is almost unreal. I don't think we have a display like that here in The Netherlands!

Ellie

Marisa Reis said...

So beautiful pictures... it's a pleasure read your blog, and travel to your country by your pictures...

Kerri said...

I can see immediately why you prefer Tulip Top Gardens to Floriade. The setting is so beautiful with so many trees...flowering and green...shrubs, and water! The whole park is breathtaking. What an incredible job they've done of placing everything for such a gorgeous effect.
Your photos are pure delight.
I could spend many happy hours in a place like that :) Wish we could've been there with you!
It's pouring rain here this morning. Looks like we're in for a deluge - the remnants of a tropical storm traveling up from the south. They've had up to 20 inches, perhaps more in some places, down south. Our few inches will be a drop in the bucket compared to that. Hurricane season makes us very thankful we live up here...even with our long, cold winters.
Thanks for the glorious colour on this grey morning :)

Meggie said...

Tulip Top Gardens are fabulous! I can see why you enjoy it some much. I love bulbs, but mine never do well here on the East Coast.
Thankyou for sharing them with us!