Some Lovely Bling from Bloggers Fling '15

I have beautiful gardens dancing in my head.  The music is composed of the voices of all the great new blogging colleagues I met over the last 4-1/2 days.  Such an inclusive group of people from around the world - tied together by our love of gardens, nature and our passion of sharing our experiences.  We gabbed, walked (one day 8 miles), photographed, laughed and ate.  Even for someone like me who lives in this area, I saw so many sights that were new.  I looked at old familiar sights with new eyes and had so much fun being a horticultural tourist in my own backyard.  

So, starting on our last day - Monday - our trip through Burlington down to the Falls and back - here's a little of what we saw:

The Laking Garden with it's formal perennial beds looks onto the redone Iris garden (last year).  The iris have been moved back into their decade driven award-beds so you can get an idea of what was fashionable at a particular time.

We'd had a big thunderstorm the night before.  The air had stayed heavy so the raindrops stayed glued  to petals:

The rain seemed to have brought out some other creatures - just beside the rock, can you see the snapping turtle?  The staff said she'd been digging ever since they got there.

So prehistoric looking don't you think?

Here's Tara Nolan.  She said her father is involved in a turtle watch program and he'd been on the phone all a.m. with folks calling in with information about turtles laying eggs - it would seem that Burlington Bertha was in good company.

One of our esteemed organizers, Helen Battersby photographing 'Polished Bronze':

Such a good day for picture taking:

Is anyone else tired of plants that look like bruises?

From there it was off to Niagara Falls - many went scooting off to see the Falls.  Who can blame them?  But for me, I wanted to see the Titan Arum that should be blooming in about a week or so at the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse.

To show you just how fast it is growing - the second photo was taken 10 minutes later - look at how there are more folds of the flower starting to show to the left 3/4 of the way up (you can click on photo to make it bigger):

Those tree trunk looking stocks are the leaves of other Arums.  Amazing.  And that photographer pointed in another direction is Barbara Wise:

Such work and planning goes into a display like this - so absolutely gorgeous:

A few pretty blossoms from the conservatory:

And here's Jim who explained to any of you who are interested in visiting - there are so many sights in and around Niagara Falls.  For example, just a few blocks away is Harriet Tubman's church where she helped thousands of slaves escape to Upper Canada where they'd be free.  Would have loved to talk more, but had to dash to the bus.....

It was a really rainy day at the Falls:

Completely different weather than the last time we were there just a few months ago:





After the Falls, it was time for some wonderful private gardens in Niagara on the Lake.  These gardens had been on over the weekend and it was so kind of the owners to allow us to visit so soon after.

Do you know what that blob is?  No.  Yes.??  Well according to the artist it's exactly what you think it is.

There were formal and treed areas:

And sections where the plants were permitted to mingle:

My lovely bus-buddy Kathy Purdy:

Every year I see the most excellent poppies that aren't orange-red - and every year, I vow I'll get myself some.  Maybe this is the year.  What a great colour:

An new-to-look-old house & garden was next.  As someone who lives in an old-but-painted-to-look-newer home, it certainly is impressive.

The gate:

The view:

Sheryl & Beckie:

Not on the tour window boxes:

I really have to get some poppies.  These at the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens:

And maybe some roses - 'Northern Encore':

I do like Hakonechloa as a ground-cover - but at $20/plant, I may have to settle for a specimen plant.

From here it was back home - my wonderful husband picked me up at the halfway point in Grimsby, and I said goodbye to my new tribe of friends.  I am hoping to see many of them in the years ahead at future flings around North America.  Thank goodness there are those blogs that brought us together in the first place - they'll have to do until we get to see each other at next year's fling.