Sunday Selections #601

 

 

 

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files. 

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image. 

The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle. 

 

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

 

I usually run with a theme. I am continuing my celebration of Spring this week (and probably next week too).  My city has an annual flower festival to celebrate Spring (Floriade). Covid largely curtailed it for the last two years but it is on again this year.

The site taken over by Floriade is a short walk from the city centre.  Instead we chose to walk to it along the shores of the lake.  Come walk with us - and revel in the riotous colours.  Just for a change there will be lots of photos.

 I think I live in a very pretty city, and I love the native critters that also call it home.

These water lilies floated on a pond near the start of Floriade.  I suspect they are illuminated at night.

The kangaroo and joey statues are permanent fixtures.  And much loved.

Lots of colour.  There are patterns planted into each bed, but the only way you can see them is if you go up on the Ferris Wheel.  So up we went.
 

You could see the patterns but for some reason the colours were much more vivid on the ground - so we came down again.

For garden splendour I prefer Tulip Top Gardens but am very, very glad that it isn't an either/or thing and I can see both.  Floriade is packed with shops.  You can buy snacks, meals, clothing, chutney, paintings and even a few garden implements.  As usual I stopped on the way out and bought some fridge magnets which I am happy to post world wide.  If you would like one let me know in the comments (or by email). If I don't already have your address please send that to me by email too.   I only bought a few so it is a case of first in, best dressed.

 

I hope your week is packed with colour and vibrancy too.

Sunday Selections #600

 

 

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files. 

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image. 

The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle. 

 

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

 

I usually run with a theme. I am continuing my celebration of Spring this week (and probably next week too).  My city has an annual flower festival to celebrate Spring (Floriade).  Just down the road there is also a private celebration which is where I  am taking you this week.  

Tulip Top Gardens is the brainchild and work (lots of work) of a single family.  One family does all the back breaking planting and preparation work by hand.  And they put in over half a million bulbs and plants.  I am in awe.  Unlike Floriade there is a fee to enter (which includes free instant tea and/or coffee) but the commercialisation pretty much stops there.

It is just off the highway between my city and Sydney and a million miles from it.

Even by my standards I took LOTS of photos when we visited early last week.  Covid cancelled it last year and I was so very happy to welcome it back. Classical music plays from the trees, there are frogs croaking happily in the water ways, and chairs are spread across the grass to sit, admire or doze (which I saw several people doing.  Do you wonder we love it there?

There is a lot yet to come out.  We may have to make a return visit.  Goodness how we suffer.

For some reason these exotic chooks were also soaking up the sun.  How they see through those feathers defeats me.

I think the underplantings/ companion plantings are genius.

I adore the forsythia avenue and look forward to it every year.

Aren't the primulas spectacular?

A gentle water fall trickles down into this pond.

I look forward to these bi-coloured blossoming trees too.

This last photo is the entrance to the gardens but for some reason Blogger decided that it would order my photos to suit itself.  The pear blossom is out, and the crab apple on the other side of the walk way is nearly out.

Next week (weather permitting) I will take you to Floriade with us.

Whatever your season I hope you find some spring in your steps this week.