Wednesday, April 25, 2012

STREET FLOWERS OF CHICAGO

Spring in Chicago is absolutely beautiful - When it's Spring Again I'll Bring Again, Tulips from Michigan Avenue.


Breathtaking - all I wanted to do was walk up and down Michigan Avenue looking at the gorgeous containers, the beds of tulips that swept up and down the street for as far as I could see.




Interesting containers on the sidewalk




When it's spring again,





Street corner





I'll bring again,




Tulips from Amsterdam - or Chicago in this case...





Beautiful tulips, beautiful city









How beautiful is this street planting?




Japanese maples planted amongst the bulbs










Hydrangeas, pussy willow branches, annuals shining bright










I'm not the only one staring and photographing








Orange tulips and stream on the street






Gorgeous spring containers


Outside a hotel on the street




Out on the pavement - gorgeous














Pots of cyclamen and cascading annuals with pussy willow sticks




Another beautiful street corner









I LOVE Chicago - chilly but not too windy




Who would have thought - pink and orange














More containers just out on the sidewalk




And I will be back here again too - can't wait.....

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDENS - FLORIDA


On a recent visit to Naples, FL I had to stop at the fairly new Naples Botanical Garden - and what a treat.  



Magnificent display of bromeliads amongst the palm trees




Pink bougainvillea hanging over the tropical shrubs









Bromeliads




Bougainvillea archway - spectacular entrance




Love this papyrus planting in terra cotta pots in front of a beautiful mosaic planter with Bromeliads


The Giant Dutchman's Pipe Vine Plant (Aristolochia gigantea) 

- can be up to 10 inches 













Topping the waterfall in the Brazilian garden is the only

 original Roberto Burle Marx ceramic mural in the United

 States.  He was knownknown internationally as the "father of

 modern landscape architecture."





I was so excited to see the most amazing display of sculptures amongst the plant displays - all from Zimbabwe - and a few sculptors were there busy doing their thing to watch




Water lily reflections




The exquisitely buttery yellow Golden Trumpet Tree (Tabebuia Chrysotricha) 












Another lovely soapstone sculpture from Zimbabwe




African Coral Tree ((Erythrina caffra) - spectacularly orange

 against the blue sky










Blue Plumbago in the Caribbean garden






                                  Cordia sebestana







Amazing mosaics in the Asian garden






The Candi Suka Ruin - inspired by a a Hindu temple in Javan,

 this ruin looks like it was plucked right from the jungles and

 placed here



Purple Trumpet Vine (Thunbergia Grandiflora)





More Golden Trumpet Tree










Pineapples - Ananas comosus





Beautiful Zimbabwean statue in front of the Burle Marx ceramic mosaic.







































Walk beneath the purple clusters of flowers of the Queens

 Wreath (Petrea volubulis) vines climbing up and over the

 coral stone pillars of the pergola in the Caribbean garden



Caribbean garden




The gorgeous Petrea vine




Raised vegetable gardens










The Florida garden with palms and grasses





Bougainvillea beauty





Veges and herbs











Little cluster of terrestrial orchids

















Water feature amongst the bromeliads





Such stunning statues from Zimbabwe





Woodpecker pecking away at the flower at the bottom of a bunch of bananas