Rose Hill
The rose garden was in full bloom, and magnificent. I'm not
a huge fan of roses (we have never lived in a place where roses do well), but
was amazed at the beauty as we approached the hill. The big, well drained,
sunny slope is the perfect place for roses. I loved the colors and fragrances
of the blooming roses, all of which are well-labeled, well-tended, and thrived.
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The arbor at the base of Rose Hill |
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Small gazebo beyond yellow roses |
When we visited in spring and in early summer in 2012, everything
was dormant and cut back, and I decided not to report. What a contrast with
the beautiful sight that greeted us in fall. If the rose garden ever
sells clippings or starters, this would be the place to purchase them.
Following are a few of my favorites – just look at those colors and the variety
(who knows, I might become a rose devotee one of these years)!
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Pink tipped |
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Deep pink |
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Pale yellow |
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White |
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Duncan Gardens
The Duncan Garden was also magnificent with its bedding
plants still in bloom. This is high intensity gardening, reminiscent of the
Victorian era when exotic plants from all over the world were cultivated in
green houses, and then planted seasonally in private and public gardens.
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Duncan Gardens |
I enjoyed seeing the color combinations and vibrant colors
in this classical European Renaissance style garden. What I had previously seen
in the early summer was merely the bones of the garden – all green lawn,
sculpted trees, gazebo, and newly planted beds (see Manito Park - Highlights of Duncan Garden). With the bedding plants in full flower, I
could see the complete garden design.
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Central planter |
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Bedding plants |
The Gaiser Conservatory and its greenhouses overlook the
sunken garden. The original conservatory was built in 1912, and redesigned,
modernized, enlarged, and rebuilt in 1974. The dome includes a waterfall, pond,
and large tropical plants. Many of the bedding plants are started in the
greenhouses.
Ferris Perennial Garden
When we visited the Ferris Perennial garden in 2012, not
much was going on. The beds were well marked, and plants looked healthy, but
this time was another story. Many of the plants were still blooming, and others
were transitioning from beautiful flowering plants, to seeds and seed pods.
Golden grasses swayed and rustled in the breeze, and some deciduous trees had
started their fall display of red and yellow.
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Joel E. Ferris Perennial Garden |
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Perennial garden in late September |
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Golden light and fall colors |
The golden afternoon light illuminated the plants. We enjoyed strolling through the garden beds, and sitting on
the various benches to relish the garden around us.
Nishinomiya Japanese Garden
We also revisited the Nishinomiya Japanese Garden, but learned
that photography is no longer allowed. This is unfortunate for those who cannot
visit the garden or who like to document great garden design, but we enjoyed our stroll through the grounds, and appreciated
the beauty of fall colors against the green-on-green design.
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