Sometimes you just need to be around living things. A few weeks ago, just as the seemingly endless winter was finally fading away, my buddy Rob and I took an outing to Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, Ontario.
There wasn’t a whole lot going on just then as it was still the off season botanically speaking. Perhaps I should have been more insistent that we wait a few weeks, but the city boy was super enthusiastic and who am I to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm?
The Bulb Room was worth the price of admission in itself. After such a desolate, ceaseless winter, the sight of all kinds of colourful tulips, daffodils, and other flowers was a huge lift. The greenhouse had lots fascinating cacti and succulents. We were constantly dodging the members of a wedding party who were getting their pictures done (seafoam green dresses and all!) but I think we both managed to take some good photos while staying out of wedding albums (despite being tempted to photobomb them on a few occasions.)
Royal Botanical Gardens also had a large dinosaur exhibit, which is not something I expected. We weren’t all that enthralled by it, but it probably had far more appeal to pint-sized nerdlets, which is the age group it’s aimed at. We did have some fun playing with the mutoscope, which is a device that foresaged motion pictures. Essentially it’s like a giant flipbook and when you turn the crank the cards in a giant rolodex thingy flip past and it forms an animation.
Without further ado, here are some photos:
Even just the small part of Royal Botanical Gardens that we saw was worthwhile, and that was only a fraction of their hundreds of hectares of gardens! I can’t wait to pay a return visit and photograph more amazing plants.
Okay, I’m sold. Let’s go back!
We should have bought an annual membership! Different stuff is in bloom at different times. The tulip festival is on now. In a few weeks the lilacs will be out (they have 100+ species) and then it’s roses in June.
Despite living for years in Toronto & Niagara-on-the-Lake I never once visited the Botanical Gardens. I am a very keen gardener now so I’d thoroughly enjoy a visit at this stage of my life. You got some lovely photos.
Hey,
We met at TBEX Toronto 2 weeks ago, Love your blog! I am the guy from Toronto who moved to the island of Roatan and started an adventure travel company, and blog about Roatan. Anyways if you are ever around Roatan, Honduras drop me a line. Hopefully we can get you out on some cool tours, Tiny Deserted Islands or on a sailboat. Cheers, you rock!
Avi
Such fun! I love botanical gardens – and your photos totally make me smile 🙂
Aww, thanks Becki! I think botanical gardens might be an acquired, adult taste. My family are crazy about gardening and floral design (e.g. my mom, aunt, and two cousins are certified horticultural judges) and I was surrounded by it growing up. Naturally, that meant I found gardens very boring. But now they’ve, er, grown on me again.