Friday 19 September 2014

This year's theme is 'Under the Sea'.

This week we visited another of our beautiful parks which, like Queens Park featured in my last post, is situated within walking distance of the CBD...Laurel Bank Park. This year the theme for the garden display is 'Under the Sea' and if you click on this link to the Toowoomba Chronicle you can see what the garden looks like from above the viewing platform from what I imagine would have been a cherry picker.  

There are always a lot of 'fun' gardens at Laurel Bank Park and it is a favourite with children. As well as the themed gardens which are strategically set out as you can see in the photos which featured in the Toowoomba Chronicle , the park is also home to ...


...Thomas the Tank...


...and other really cute sculptured features...

 

...which are scattered through the 4.5 hectare park. 


Wisteria is just coming into bloom...
 

...and in a few weeks will completely cover the Wisteria Arbor providing a shady area for visitors to sit and relax. 

 

 Apparently during World War Two, huts were built by the Council on one side of the park as it was a rest site for troops from the US who were based in Queensland. After the war the huts were removed but the large mess hall was kept so that it could be used by the community.



A feature I hadn't seen before is the vegetable garden and its organically grown produce...


... is picked and given to visitors to take home at certain times of the year. 

Next to this garden are the Scented Gardens which were developed in 1980 following a suggestion from the Downs Association for the Blind. There are herbs and other scented plants in these gardens which were designed with the visually impaired in mind. There is wheelchair access along the specially designed pathways and the water feature is always a great place to stop and take photos.


There are mass plantings of Cliveas under trees and in shady areas and they are quite stunning. 


This is a photo I took last year of some of the features designed for children and most of them are still in the garden including the bunny, a dinosaur and a mother duck and her ducklings. If you are interested you can take a look at them in my post from last year.

The Carnival of Flowers starts today with the Food and Wine Festival and tours of the gardens start as well. It will be a busy time and I hope that any readers who are visiting Toowoomba to see the parks and gardens really enjoy themselves. 












7 comments:

  1. The sculptors are fun!! Something to smile at:) The wisteria arbour must be absolutely beautiful when in full bloom. I noticed a wisteria winding around the veranda of an old farm house just the other day. They add a softness and I could easily imagine ladies sipping afternoon tea under it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wisteria is so beautiful in Spring. I wish we had it growing here.

      Delete
  2. I have clivea envy. Those topiaries remind me of our trip to Railton in Tasmania last year. Isn't it a glorious spring so far this year? Next year I will be free to enjoy it more I hope.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Barb, hopefully you won't be so busy next year once you have settled in to your new home.

    ReplyDelete
  4. OK i expect you to go back in a few weeks and take a photo of that arbor in flower. Love the shapes, especially Thomas. Oh Barb, is their anyway i can give you some cliveas. Ive even put a free ad on gumtree. Im left with 4 big clumps . Im going to put some into two big pots and then the rest is up for grabs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lynda, that arbor will be gorgeous soon. Unfortunately Barb lives a bit too far away to relieve you of your Cliveas :-) She is moving closer to me soon. How about Freecycle if you have it down there?

      Delete
  5. Nanna Chel,
    We've been having some lovely spring weather. Looks like the carnival will enjoy it this year too.
    -Shiralee.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for leaving your comments as I love to hear from my readers. As soon as I check them they will be published. If for some reason you have trouble leaving a comment feel free to email me directly by filling out the 'Contact Me' form on the sidebar at the right.

Printfriendly

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...