Ginter Gardens

Lewis Ginter Gardens are the botanic gardens of Richmond, Virginia.  They are located

about five miles to the northwest of the city and are some of the most beautiful in the U.S.

We visited on a sunny day in April as all the spring flowers were blooming.

These are some of the pictures I took.

The tallest flowers are frittaria /Crown Imperial, and then there are the various shades

of orange tulips.  At Ginter, they do not leave the soil bare below tall flowers, but they cover it with violas, here in yellow and white.  I like that.

The entrance to the Gardens had masses of daffodils, tulips, and peach hyacinths.

Beautiful white daffodils with yellow throats.  This is what Spring should look like.

Double white daffodils with peach throats.  Daffodils come in an amazing variety of

color combinations these days.

Pink hyacinths and yellow violas.

Just behind the Entrance Building is the wishing well and pots of various colored tulips.

An urn filled with Easter Eggs Tulips.

A pot of Dutch Painter Tulips and Orange Taper Tulips.

A mixture of orange and red tulips and yellow and white violas.

In the Cobblestone Courtyard were purple and white tulips and blue violas.

Purple and white tulips and variegated blue violas.

Pale Blue Poppy Anemones

Pale pink Poppy Anemones.

Bright Pink Poppy Anemones

Clusters of White Viburnum on a bush outside the Education Building.

Blue and lavender violas and white daffodils along the path.

Cream colored Parrot Tulips (with fringed petals) and yellow and white violas.

Yellow and white tulip bed with yellow and copper colored violas.

There are acres of beds of flowers and each has a different color theme.  This bed has Double 

Yellow Tulips with White and Copper Violas.  "Double" tulips have twice as many and 

more petals than a normal tulip.

Very large double Exotic Emperor white tulip.

Two very large double yellow Exotic Emperor Tulips.

A new hybrid magnolia.

Exochorda / Excordia / Pearl Bush.  This is often used in bridal bouquets because the

flowers are borne on long green flexible branches.

Close-up of Exochorda

Aruba - a new variety of yellow and red tulip.

 A bed of yellow and copper violas.

Pink Tulips with variegated leaves and blue violas in the Garden of Love.

Orange Violas

A mixture of darker colors; very dark purple tulips and violas.

Double Orange Tulip

Double yellow Exotic Emperor Tulips and Snow White Hyacinths,

with a wonderful aroma.

Red tulips with striped leaves and white pansies.

There is a grove of camellia bushes in the Gardens; this is the pink camellia.

A bed of mixed tulips and daffodils.

White Parrot Tulip and yellow violas.

Dark purple and yellow tulips.

Exotic Emperor double white tulips

Inside the conservatory there is a large collection of orchids.

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I hope you have enjoyed this virtual visit to the Lewis Ginter Gardens in Richmond.

On My Walk - Bldg. 61

This is Bldg 61 where I first noticed orchids on trees a couple of years ago.  They have many

more flowers besides orchids.  These are  Jasmine Trees, loaded with blossoms and

giving off a delicate aroma.

Jasmine Flowers Close-up

This is a Brunfelsia tree, which was planted just last year.  It is commonly known as the

"Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" Tree.    It is also known as the Brazilian Rain Tree.
When the flowers first open, they are deep purple.  Two days later they fade to pale lavender
and two days later they become pure white.

"Brunfelsia" close-up showing various colors for various stages/ages of the flowers.

It also has a light sweet aroma.

"Brunfelsia" sends forth the flowers before the leaves are fully developed.

They also have two beautiful bushes of "Gardenias," cousins of the "Jasmine."

They last only one day in full beauty and then begin to fade.  Here is a velvety white

example which has just opened.

Gardenia

A third Gardenia.

"Carnival in Rio" Ground-Orchid.  True orchids do not grow in soil; they absorb moisture
from the air.

"Imperial Knight" purple ground orchid.

"Snow White" was actually the first and oldest of all the orchids to bloom this year.

This branch put out two flowers on January 31, and they are still blooming.

I was amazed.

"Orange and Raspberry" is a spicy orchid.

"Maude" is a very delicate light lavender orchid.

"Martha" is a prolific bloomer.

"Carmencita" Orchid

"Angelique" is actually a small orchid, about half the size of the others.

Beautiful begonia bushes line the entrance.

Pale Pink and Deep Rose Vinca/Periwinkle flowers make a nice border.

The big plant is a crinum lily.

White, Deep Purple, and Red Periwinkle.

Another variety of Variegated Agave

My latest discoveries were ten beautiful, prolific orchids on two trees outside Bldg. 11,
which is on my Northern Itinerary.  These are two varieties of white Phalaenopsis.

"Allyson" on left and "Hermoine" with a touch of lavender on right.

A large cluster of "Allyson"

"Hermoine" with just a blush of lavender

The "Scarlet Pimpernel" is a rather strange looking orchid.

"The Scarlet Pimpernel."  The photo was taken during sunset.

"Lady Godiva" is a striking white, purple, and orange orchid

"Blood Orange Pinstripes" were all over one tree

"A Taste of Madeira"  peeked from behind.

"Peachy Keen" has one of the most gorgeous colors; it is both delicate and
vibrant, and it bloomed prolifically.  I love it.  This was also photographed
as the sun set.

"Tropical Fire" Canna.  I now go walking in the evening, through the golf course outside
my condo.  I was coming home about 7:30 last night and the sun was setting and lit up
these hundreds of cannas along one of the water channels on the golf course.

"Tropical Fire Cannas"

"King Konahu" Frangipani

I like this composition with "Blood Orange Pinstripe Orchids."


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