Canada Blooms

  

Canada Blooms opened last Friday and we were there. This is the 20th year for this ever-growing (pun intended) exposition of all that's new and wonderful around the garden. It's a feast for the eyes, with bloomers from early spring to late summer all magically in bloom at the same time and displayed in an otherwise empty space with landscaping to drool over, thanks to hundreds of volunteers because this is a non-profit enterprise, the largest garden show of its kind in Canada. 

This is the place to come if you're looking for advice, landscaping and design ideas and plant materials for sale. I just like to come for the sensory experience. It's such a treat after the drab winter to arrive at Canada Blooms and enter into paradise for a couple hours. 

The Archway dividing the National Home Show from Canada Blooms

I started off with the Toronto Botanical Garden competition area. There was so much creativity with the designs and lots of variety in the horticultural elements.

Diversion class 1st place Joyce Moffat
amaryllis, raffia and cacho grass

2nd place in the Whirl Class also by Joyce Moffat of the Garden Club of Toronto
Celastrus scandens and millet

Silvana Croce of the Garden Club of Toronto had a winner with this Phalaenopsis

There were many entries in the various classes. 

This entry had all the plants carefully listed

The three entries above are all interpretations of the Class "Gladrags". The judges commented that they weren't sure there was anything "rag" about these entries.

This healthy specimen is Rhipsalis Cassutha, a variant of a plant I have at home. 

Rhipsalis is a type of epiphytic cactus. Here's a photo of mine:

Cereus Peruvianus Monstrose, another cactus

Ponderosa  Lemon

Kumquat

 Onward. So much to see, so little time. More than 20 feature gardens to explore.

Designed and Built by the City of Toronto

Beehives

Last minute touches on opening day

Infinity pool

a bar at one end

Unusual choice of material: deconstructed used pallets

Water garden

Here's an idea for your (our) drainage problem:

A living wall

Hellebores are always popular

Want this in the garden?

A cozy spot

Mark Cullen giving a talk on Day 1 and promoting his new book

Kids were remembered too. Here's a nifty tree house.

a place to play in the sand.

and some teddy bears' picnic displays.

Ok, confession time: before leaving for home I hit the shopping area and adopted a new Echeveria and a new Kalanchoe. Both are succulents and fit nicely into our little plant family.

Kalanchoe

Echeveria

Finally, here's a time-lapse video of the building of one (only one!) feature garden last year at Canada Blooms. It takes 6 days to put the show together and then it runs for 10 days after which it all gets deconstructed. So much work!