Many have been the times we admired the various floral displays at Niagara Parks, Canada. These have been during trips to both Niagara Falls and to the Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake. Kay and I lived in Buffalo NY when we were first married and were frequent visitors to nearby Canada. We revisit the area periodically, the scenes of our youth. A central point in Niagara Parks is the Botanical Gardens. We were last there in October. The flush of summer was over. A few sorry roses among the twenty-three hundred in the rose garden still had fitful bloom. The Mums were in their glory. The Arboretum displayed the colors of fall. There is a School for Apprentice Gardeners on the premises. Garden workers were busy removing winter sensitive plantings. Some were to be saved, the majority to be composted. My heart went out to the many dozens of beautiful Canna Lily, Striata, destined for the heap. Carts were being piled high with them. Luckily we were there when this seemingly desecration, at least to me, had just started. There were enough things still in bloom to be enjoyed although the roses were fading.
During an earlier trip we had noticed signs for a new Butterfly Conservatory but had not followed up on it. This time we went in the direction of the arrows and were astounded by the view of a very large, glass topped, beautiful piece of architecture. The Conservatory. Before seeing it I had conceived of a small, nondescript structure. No way. As they described it, it is a tropical paradise with a rainforest like environment for 2000 tropical butterflies. One of the first plants that caught my eye was a Bleeding Heart Vine, Cleodendrum tomsoniae Verbenacae. My single photograph of the flower, a mass of white leaves interspersed with bright red flowers with long stamens did not come close to the original beauty as the flowers were mostly against a black background. All previous times I extolled the flora when in a conservatory. This time I will balance it with the fauna. These critters were flying around everywhere. Some brushed up against you in flight. Others dined on the many flowers around. For some reason, the most spectacular in color avoided being photographed, staying just out of reach. These included some electric blue ones. One neon green butterfly image is not being reproduced. It blends into the background greenery and is almost lost in the reproduction.
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