'Spirit uplifting' is the only phrase that comes to my mind. It's true that my back and legs hurt like crazy now after walking around for hours around the park, nonetheless I feel so happy for having made the effort. I was at the Lal Bagh Botanical Garden, Bangalore India which holds biannual flower shows on the occasion of the Republic day which we celebrate tomorrow and once again for the Independence day on the 15 of August every year. If there are flowers then Sofs is there for sure. These extra huge sunflowers were there all over the garden.
This is the entrance, the walking path to the garden. It is made up of arches of bougainvillea which have grown into huge trees twining around each other. It makes the walk much cooler and lovelier during the summer months.
This is how pretty this walk way looks with bougainvilleas blooming all around. Bougainvilleas may not have any fragrance but they make up for this with their plentiful blooms and color. There are about ten to twelve colors here which I have seen, shades of pinks, oranges, reds, yellows, purples and whites. I wish we had blue bougainvilleas as well.
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This is a shot of the walk way on the opposite side. The abundance of flowers at this time of the year makes these paths to the main garden seem like a fairy land.
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There are topiaries all over the garden. I have been very interested in creating a topiary for years. I have tried to create a peacock with very little success, maybe I need to be patient. I have used the jade succulent for this purpose. Topiary the art of sculpting and shaping trees to look like birds, animals or other objects is said to have its origins in Rome. The Emperor Augustus Caesar's friend is said to have been the inventor of this art form in the 1st century C.E.
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Here are some more pictures of other topiaries and bougainvilleas as we walked further.
This is an image of a bougainvillea vine in bloom, there are very few leaves that are visible. A bougainvilleas if allowed can grow as tall as the tallest tree it climbs on or as short as you want it to be. You could prune it in any shape you want and make a topiary of it. This pale shade of pink bougainvilleas looks stunning in bloom.
Marigolds of different hues, Salvias, Zinnias and Vinkas make this circular arrangement where the road forks off in different directions. Such arrangements of plants can be seen all through the park.
The glass house is where different organizations have exhibited their plants or causes is the main area of the flower show. This being the central area has various arrangements of flower structures to show case their ideas. This year the focus was on the History of Bangalore. Various monuments created out of flowers were on display in the central area. These sculptures in the image were displayed by a pro-life group.
Flowers everywhere!! A waterfall made of flowers in the Indian tricolor and the state flag combined.
There are hibiscus of different colors and hues everywhere. These orange and pink arrangements look absolutely amazing near the ticket counters.
Flower arches made with different flowers were a huge attraction. This image doesn't do the real thing any justice at all. It was sad that they wouldn't allow us to carry our cameras. While a phone can take decent pictures it doesn't do a good job of all kinds of shots. These arches looked amazing like a tunnel of flowers as long as a football field.
If the way to heaven is paved with flowers it would look something like this I guess. Chrysanthemums are not only colorful but also a cheaper way to decorate huge areas. You'll see what I mean when you see the pictures that follow.
A sea of flowers. How much more colorful can this get!!
Save the girl child was the theme of this display. A woman clothed with handwoven palm fronds a beautiful craft in rural India looked absolutely gorgeous.
Poinsettias of different colors, shades and variegation were used to decorate many of the areas as this is the season for these blooms.
The gerbera is another popular yet delicate flower that was used abundantly. These flowers come in so many colors these look stunning no matter where or how it is used.
This golden shrimp plant was planted all over the gardens and they looked quite attractive. We used to see a wild variety of this plant in the forest regions. These cultivars look much bigger and prettier.
Dahlias didn't occupy the pride of place this time for some reason. Usually these flowers are used in various displays in the glass house.
Dombeyas in full bloom must have been a show stopper. This is a huge bush almost the size of a tree in the middle of the park. Now most of the blooms have faded and only some of the clusters of flowers are fresh. I felt really sad to have missed this amazing display.
Just another colorful bush in the garden. I guess no one spares these bushes a second glance when there is so much beauty on display. Yet these are the everyday beauties that need a mention.
I hope you enjoyed this amazing Wednesday walk with me. I really need to rest now. Thank you for your support.
Special thanks to 