Snap happy

Just a few more pics around the traps that I could not resist adding:

 

Annuals

The climate of Cincinnati in the Ohio Valley is variable between the humid continental and the humid subtropical where rainfall is fairly consistent and the deep freeze of the north does not have such a death grip. However the good growing conditions are less than 6 months so annuals have a lot of growing to do (Annual here does not mean annual in Melbourne or anywhere else, but are treated as such).  


At The Zoo & Botanical Garden  the annuals are donnated by growers, breeders and distributors and planted out in blocks to display and test their worth for the public. They arrive as small seedlings in spring are grown on, planted, maintained, and removed making way for the bulb plantings in autumn/fall.

Impatiens, Angelonia and varieagated Flowing Dogwood

'Sunpatiens', Coleus, Canna

Plectranthus Silver Shield, Double Zinnias

Geranium and Alocasia

Verbena, Begonia Bronze Wing and Pennistemon

In only a a few weeks between Mid May and June, warm weather (30C/87F) and many a thunderstorm the annuals are well and truly out of the blocks (along with the weeds - aghhh vines!)

Vinca in foreground, Millet 'Cats Tails' and Impatiens in background

Pennistemon

One of my faves

Canna 'blueberry sparkler' Vinca in foreground

 

 

Containers in Chicago

Urbs in Horto or City in a Garden was proclaimed upon Chicago's founding in 1837

The container plantings themselves in downtown Chicago seemed pretty standard for this area - Lantana, Begonia, Pennisetum, Angelonia and Verbena. The containers themselves were often permenant fixtures, which led me to wonder how they would look in the winter. But the effect on the streetscape of containers outside all sorts of businesses and in public areas was really summery, bright and cheery. If the colourful containers weren't around, I may have actually believed I was in gotham city*

Near Millenium Park

Huge Angelonias (Lantana and Pennisetum in background)

A hotel on Michigan Ave

Begonias outside the hostel

View from the River/Canal in Gotham City*

The public library in Gotham City*