Before arriving at the greenhouse, there was an opportunity to take some photos of the flora outside in the park as well. Gage Park is a lovely location, full of towering trees and colorful flowers. Here is my youngest and I admiring a Grape Hyacinths.
Here, we have a wonderful Juneberry tree. I was surprised to learn that this tree will produce EDIBLE berries soon (most wild things are not edible), so I look forward to trying them
This is a White Cherry Blossom tree, one of my favorites. In my city, we are fortunate to have BOTH kinds of cherry blossoms: white and pink. These trees will produce juicy cherries to enjoy.
Similar to the Grape Hyacinth, this flower is a Dutch Hyacinth, and they are some of my favorites. I simply adore the pinstripe petals, the way they burst forth. Funnily enough, the flower comes in an array of colors, but this was one of the only pink ones!
A gorgeous field of Replete Daffodils. I love the overlapping petals... They are truly a beauty to behold.
We finally reached the greenhouse! 馃檶 Immediately upon walking through the doors was a piano for children to play, so our girls went to town! 馃槃 They had a great time.
This is a beautiful Tropical Hibiscus flower 馃尯 There were so many beautifully colored flowers inside the greenhouse, and the aroma was so sweetly overpowering. Every scent from every flower collided to create perfumed clouds...
These cute flowers are Clivia! I thought they looked very sweet, all bunched together like this...
This is Mexican Honeysuckle. As the name may imply, these plants are terrific for attracting pollinators, such as bees and hummingbirds.
Of course, there are some tropical trees in the greenhouse as well. This towering tree is called a Giant White Bird of Paradise. This tree must have been over 20ft. tall, and the leaves along were probably half of my height!
This is a Rainbow Croton (not to be confused with crouton! 馃槀). Although it does not produce flowers, I find this plant to be incredibly beautiful all on its own. What a wonderful creation from God; every leaf produces its own unique color.
Some Phalaenopsis Orchids -- incredibly patterned petals. I love orchids, but these ones are so beautiful... Again, what a testament to God's creations, every petal possessing its own unique patterns...
These are Moth Orchids (and I absolutely adore this name 馃グ). Little baby orchids that pack a potent smell!
Another of my favorites; these are Plumerias. Similar to hibiscus, these Hawaiian flowers are very popular in making leis due to their vibrant colors and lovely scent.
Here is another example of plumeria. I loved the pinks and yellows of this one, but unfortunately it was too out of reach. There wasn't really a way to capture a good photo, but I did my best 馃檹
This is a Japanese Lantern. This flower is so friggin' cute 馃ス The way its little "tail" dangles down! As you can see, there is no surprise as to where this plant's name came from.
After leaving the greenhouse, we decided to walk around the park for a little bit. The birds and squirrels here are pretty domesticated (many people feed them), so we also spent some time with the silly little squirrels 馃榿 Here are some pictures of our girls playing hide-and-seek with a couple of them 馃槃
We gave them a bit of food that we had on hand -- oats and peanut butter toast. They were so docile that they had no problem coming right up and taking the food from our hands! Obviously the girls had a wonderful time 馃槃
Here is a fat grey squirrel who took his treasure up into the pine tree to feast 馃槀
A black squirrel, enjoying his piece of toast...
