Tulips in Chicago

The Chicago Botanic Gardens had splendid displays of hundreds of thousands of tulips

last week, when I visited.  As you walked out of the Enabling Garden and began to

follow the path through the Sensory Garden, this gorgeous display welcomed you.The tulips are "Angelique," double pink-and-white.  The blue are pansies.

"Angelique" double tulips and pale blue pansies along the wall.

Each "Angelique" tulip has a different mixture of pink and white.

The Lakeside Garden had eight large beds of pink, white, and red tulips.

Pink, white, and red tulips.

Ever since tulips were discovered, there was one blossom per stem.  Then a few years ago,

horticulturalists developed "cluster tulips," with five or six flowers on a stem.

These cluster tulips, "Antoinette," were some of my favorites this year.  Not only are

there five and six blossoms on a stem, but they go through three color changes during

their blooming.  They start as pale yellow-green-white, and then a few days later they

become brilliant yellow and raspberry, and a few days later they turn to orange and rust.

The beds of "Antoinette" were spectacular.

"Antoinette" cluster tulips.

Delicate pink and white, "Lovely Lady" tulips.  The names of all the flowers are posted

on the internet each week on the Garden's website.

These beautiful double purple tulips were along the path in the Sensory Garden.

Each section featured a different color - purple, red, yellow, orange, pink, etc.,

and many other flowers with those colors were also displayed.

These lovely tulips, "Pillow Talk," were one of the featured tulips this year.

"Intense Red" was dazzling.

"Prince of Orange" was named in honor of the King of the Netherlands.

This is part of the path and beds in the Sensory Garden.  You are invited to touch

and smell the various plants, which have been specially chosen for their aroma

and textures.

This dark beauty is "Victoria's Secret."

Close-up of "Victoria's Secret"

"Dutch Painter" Parrot Tulips.  Parrot Tulips have the feathered edges on petals.

"Dutch Painter" Parrot Tulips

"Peppermint Patty" Tulips.  Notice the white edges of the leaves, which is a recent development.

"Blush" single late tulip, very tall.

Purple Waterlily Tulips

"Golden Artist" Tulip

Double yellow huge tulips.

Various tulips, yellow nemesia, and red ranunculus/Persian Buttercups.

Easter Egg Tulips and Pink "Margarita" tulips in the Circle Garden.

Pink tulips, red Moroccan Toadflax, and blue pansies.

Purple cluster tulips

"Glowing Embers" tulips

"Brown Sugar" Triumph Tulips

"Brown Sugar" Triumph Tulips

"Day Dream" tulips

"Burnt Siena" and "Red Hot" Tulips

"Fiery Bush" Tulips

"Precious" Lily Tulips, with flared lips

"Pillow Talk" and "Triumph" Tulips in the Circle Garden

"Victoria's Secret" and "Lemon Drop" Tulips

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African Flowers

One greenouse is devoted to flowers fro Africa and the Mediterranean area.  Some of

these flowers have become widely known in our country; others are rare.

This is an "African Daisy."

African Daisies

African Daisies

African Daisies

African Daisies

Euryops - a daisy-like flower with dark green foliage

Yellow Gerbera Daisies.  There are eight species of African Daisies, all from South Africa.
Gerberas are one of the species.  They are now common in the States.

White Gerbera Daisies

Small sized Blue Tower of Jewels  /  Echium, from the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa..

Flowers on the Blue Tower of Jewels

Yellow Gerbera Daisy

Horned Violas

Cape Cowslip  /  Lachenalia,  from South Africa

Pale Pink Lachenalia, from South Africa

Yellow Lachenalia from South Africa

Lavender Pelargonium, from South Africa.   Pelargonium species are evergren perennials
indigenous to Southern Africa, and are drought and heat tolerant,
 but can tolerate only minor frosts..

Lavender Pelargonium, a relative of the American geranium 

"Prince of Orange Philodendron," a colorful variant of the plant we know.

Pink Ixia, from South Africa 

Pink Ixia

White Oxalis

An Aloe Vera in bloom

Blossoms on Aloe Vera

"Red Hot Poker" Flowers, native to South Africa.  Bees love them.

"Red Hot Poker" Flowers from South Africa; bees love them.

"Winter Hot Poker Flowers"

Orange "Birds of Paradise," natives of South Africa.

Yellow Birds of Paradise, native of South Africa

Yellow Bird of Paradise

Blue and White Bird of Paradise, native of South Africa

Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums

Blue and White Poppy Anemones

Lavender and White Poppy Anemones

Mixed Poppy Anemones

"Chalice Vine Flower."  This vine climbed all the wall to the ceiling, and the flowers

are big, 10-12 inches in diameter, and they look like a large cup or chalice.

This was a new variety of rose for, a "Spray Rose" name "Lovely Lydia."

 "Lovely Lydia Spray Rose"

There is also a collection of bonsai trees.  This is a "Chinese Wisteria."

There is also one working greenhouse open to the public, where cut-flowers are raised

for decoration in the buildings.  This is a pale yellow Carnation.

Pink Carnations.  Yu can see the wires which keep the stems tall and straight.

A brand-new snapdragon - "Potomac Plumblossom."  It stands 6 feet high.

"Potomac Plumblossom Snapdragon"

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