Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers

Picture perfect houses and gardens. A deep blue sky. 28 C and flowers in so many colours and combinations we struggled to keep up trying to identify and name them all. 

This was a particularly special one, round the corner from where we were staying. The owner popped out to tell us these were Echiums - Pride of Madeira. The bees loved them. 

From there onto the Botanical Gardens which has trees over 150 years old. They are majestic and tall and provide wonderful shade under which to sip a coffee or listen to live music - then back into the flower borders which are so beautifully organised and colourful. Some names we laughed at. This Pansy so delicate and lovely, was called the Dynamic White Blotch!

Beds carefully planted but this time - look, its parsley in between the Marigolds. You could eat your way through this one. 

 

We love the colours and the contours, the clever insertions and ultimate patterns. 

I think this is Ageratum Blue Mink - another great favourite for the Bees. The colour so very intense. 

Then onto Laurel Bank Park to wander in amongst the Cherry blossom - who needs to travel to Japan when Toowoomba is a stone's throw. The creativity was staggering. The Dinosaur park was full of them- dinosaurs in flower! What an ambitious project. The Velociraptor was probably my favourite. The topiary was impressive and this is hubby's favourite. Everyone knows why. The wisteria was wistful. The park scented with Jasmine and blossoms. There is a scented garden for the visually impaired. 

Ending with a sprig of sweet peas, one of my favourites grown over a whole area at Picnic Point. 

The music programme was rich and varied and the pop up shops and eateries were serving up delicious food and Queensland wines.  Private Gardens will also be opening up for viewings.The Festival goes on until the 30th of September - for more information you can check out the link at https://www.tcof.com.au/