City Parks

    Parks within or adjacent to many cities add immeasurably to the quality of life of its inhabitants. Could there be anything more peaceful than an oasis of green to counterbalance the hustle, bustle and crowding of city life? One such park is the Malcolm Gross Memorial Rose Garden in Allentown, Pennsylvania. When we were there, the roses were just about finished for the season but there was no lack of other flowers to take their place. There were arbors scattered throughout, with a bird house atop each of them.

    Another garden we have visited more than once is the Red Butte Garden and Arboretum at Salt Lake City, Utah.  p>

       Although set in a seemingly arid location, it contains a stream, pond and waterfall within its extensive boundary. It is the backdrop for many wedding photographs, and rightly so. A sign "Watch Out For Rattlesnakes" ads a bit of spice to the visit. 

    Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, is the location of a Historic Garden. That is where this Austrian Copper rose was photographed. This rose dates from  sometime after early 1600 when Annapolis Royal was first settled by the French.

    On the other side of the continent we find Stanley Park in Vancouver, and the Crystal Garden in Victoria, both in British Columbia. Stanley Park covers an entire corner of Vancouver with the Strait of Georgia on one side and the city the other. The Crystal Garden, a tropical setting with exotic flora under glass, is nestled within Victoria.

    Another bit of exotica may be found at Niagara Parks, Ontario. The Conservatory is a place of delight for me. I revel in its moist, warm, earthy odors. Ah, if only I could duplicate it by my home.

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    Still in Canada, at the capital, Ottawa, we have the yearly explosion of tulips at its festival. Throughout the city there are beds of  tulips along with areas where they are concentrated, acres of color. 

    A week ago we were in Dallas, Texas. While there we visited a different kind of garden, Rather than flowers springing from the earth there were sculptures. The Nasher Sculpture Center in the heart of the city was a delight.  This concrete and gravel  sculpture was among Pablo Picasso's first in this medium.  In the background there is Mark di

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