Garden Walk 2019 a

One of the two primary display areas is the Garden Walk, a long path with 12 foot wide

flower beds on either side.  A mixture of colors and flowers leads your eyes from black

and purple and violet and pink into red and orange and yellow and finally white.

A bed of dark and light blue Grape Hyacinths

Dark Blue and Light Blue Grape Hyacinths

Starting at the White Flowering Dogwoods, there are many varieties of black, purple,

violet, and lilac tulips.  They mix and blend into each other.

Until recently, there were no true black tulips.  But that no longer is true.  This year

there were at least five different truly black tulips, of varying shapes and sizes.

This is "Queen of the Night."  My favorite was "Vincent Van Gogh," a frilled tulip,

which I will show you later.

"Queen of the Night" black tulips

"Queen of the Night" black tulips and white Flowering Dogwood.

On the South Side beds you go from "Lilac Lady" and "Queen of the Night" into

"Blue Spectacle" double late tulips, "Purple Prince" single late tulip, and "Shirley," a frilled 

lilac and white tulip.

Large double "Blue Spectacle" tulips, "Shirley" lilac and white, and "Purple Prince" tulips.

Here you can see the beautiful mix of dark "Blue Spectacle" double tulips and the

"Shirley" lilac and white tulips.

"Shirley" is the frilled tulip and "Blue Spectacle" is the double, larger than a peony.

A Large bed of "Shirley" and "Blue Spectacle"

"Purple Delights" were large, lily-shaped tulips with pointed petals.

"Purple Delight," "Blue Spectacle," and "Shirley"

"Purple Delight," "Queen of the Night," "Shirley," and "Purple Prince."

"Purple Prince" and "Shirley" against the morning sun.

Looking back over lilacs and purples to Flowering Dogwood.

"Pink Princess" single late, pink-rose-and-white tulip.

"Pink Princess"

Variegated bed: grape hyacinths, fritillaria, "Shirley" tulips, and "Nightclub" cluster tulips.

Tulips had always had one flower per stem, until a couple of years ago, when

horticulturalists developed a "cluster tulip" with multiple blossoms on a stem.

These are purple "Nightclub."

The first bed of "Pink Parrots" now appeared.  They are among the most popular of the

tulips.  And this year there were five variations of "Pink Parrot."  Parrot tulips are

identified by their ruffled petals; they come in all colors and mixtures.

In the foreground is a spectacular new tulip, "Cartouche," in red and white.

Two "Cartouche" tulips in the afternoon with petals fully open.

"Cartouche" tulips.

"Pink Parrot" Tulips

"Breathless" Pink Double Tulips

More beautiful "Pink Parrots"

"Virichic," a variety of the Viri Tulip, with green, white, and pink stripes in a

lily-like form with pointed petals.

A bed of "Virichic" tulips

"Pink Princess" shot against the sun so light shines through the petals.

This is "Pink Diamond," a very different pink, also shot against the sun.

"Pink Diamond" tulips with "Ivory Bells" Fritillaria

"Pink Princess" single tulips

Lavender Dianthus replaced bulbs of crocus and hyacinth, which were spent.

Around the fountain was a mixture of "Purissima White" tulips, and large yellow cupped

daffodils, and "Green Star," a variety of Viri Tulip.

A mixture of white and green and yellow by the fountain.

"White Purissima" Late Single Tulip

"Green Star" Viri Tulip, with stripes of green, yellow, and white

Blue Hyacinths and large cupped daffodils joined the mixture.

Mixed bed beside fountain.

Beyond the fountain are the reds and oranges, yellows and whites, which we will enjoy

next time.

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