Weekend Reflections

Posting at Weekend Reflections.

August 2017 - Burlington ON

Royal Botanical Gardens

Thursday Doors

Linking up at Norm's Thursday Doors.

August 2017 - Burlington ON

Also found at the Royal Botanical Gardens.
Lego Sculptures
More Garden Art
The gardens themselves

The Hendrie Gates are located at the entrance to the Scented Garden in Hendrie Park in the Royal Botanical Gardens.The Hendrie Gates commemorate William Hendrie, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1831, and emigrated as a young man to Hamilton, Ontario, where he established a successful business hauling freight between the new railway lines and local shippers and receivers.  

In 1931, to celebrate the centenary of Hendrie’s birth, the family gave 122 acres of his historic breeding farm to the Royal Botanical Gardens. Hendrie’s family commissioned Frederick James Flatman “to design and build a magnificent set of wrought iron gates, to be used in constructing an entrance marker to Hendrie Park”. Flatman was a master craftsman ironworker who had apprenticed in England. His design was adapted from the gates to “The Backs” at Trinity College, Cambridge, England.

Flatman embellished the Hendrie Gates design with symbols appropriate to our New World setting: a sheaf of Durham wheat, a cluster of Ontario grapes, and a horseshoe. The craftsmanship of his wrought iron work is distinguished; and he also supervised the proper hanging of the gates, “so that a child may easily open and shut them with one hand”.

This was a smaller set of gates leading out of the scented gardens.

Information above found at the Burlington Historical Society's website.

Thursday Doors

Linking up at Norm's Thursday Doors.

August 2017 - Burlington ON

I managed to find some doors at the Royal Botanical Gardens when we visited.

Click here to visit the amazing Lego exhibit.
More garden art.
And here for the gardens themselves.

Good Random Fun

August 2017 - Burlington ON

Who knew what randomness you could find at the Royal Botanical Gardens?

Linking up:
The Good The Random The Fun

Royal Botanical Gardens

August 2017 - Burlington ON

Click here to see the amazing Lego garden art we saw on our visit.
More garden art


Royal Botanical Gardens developed as a concept in the 1920s under the City of Hamilton Board of Park Management, led by Thomas McQuesten. Initially the proposed botanical garden was to be located along the south shore of Cootes Paradise Marsh surrounding the Hamilton campus of McMaster University. The proposed botanical garden would also protect extensive natural areas along the marsh.

Formal permission was obtained in 1930 from King George V to call the gardens the "Royal Botanical Gardens". At the same time as the proposal for the botanical gardens was under consideration, the City of Hamilton was undertaking an ambitious program of beautification on the nearby Burlington Heights.

First we visited the Mediterranean and cactus gardens.

What an odd plant!

Outside across the street in the Hendrie Park.

Lots and lots of veggies planted by the day camps.

Perfect for wedding photos.

Medicinal gardens with great artwork.

Love in the Mist - very poetic name.

The waterlilies were stunning.

More Garden Art

August 2017 - Burlington ON

We took so many photos at the Royal Botanical Gardens that I've broken them into sections.

 A display of a favourite artist of mine outside the gifts hop.
Sam Tofts series of paintings feature a charming array of characters known as The Mustards.

Here's a couple of them.
Bums on Seats


The Suitcase of Sardine Sandwiches - how could you not love that title?



These fun pieces were in the Mediterranean exhibit.

Pollinizers
Dave Hind (Canada) with The Aluminum Quilting Society
This installation focuses on the importance of pollination. Royal Botanical Gardens supports pollinators by protecting the plant species and habitats that sustain them. The designs on the arms reflect some of these species.

Haven
Catherine Lavelle (Canada) designed in collaboration with Douglas Senft
Haven is a large nest. Lavelle uses her art to speak to the changing nature of animal habitats in a city landscape.

On the Wings of Love
Bob and Jo Wilfong (USA)
On the Wings of Love explores themes of love and human connection. The simple stylized forms are designed to connect with each viewer’s personal experience.

Rejoicing Family
Taurai Mutigwa (Zimbabwe)
Rejoicing Family shows people embraced together. The sculpture weaves into itself to represent how everything is connected.

No information.

Audio Bee Booth for Greenway (2011)
an amplified habitat installation for wild, solitary nesting bees and wasps
By Sarah Peebles. Assisted by Rob Cruickshank, electronics; John Kuisma, woodworking; Chris Bennett, pyrography.

Bloodroot
Artist: Karl Unnasch
From: USA
Date: 2016
Inspired by Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot), this installment represents one of the first woodland plants to greet spring as it contrasts its unique structure with the more innocuous plants surrounding it.

Jardín
Artist: Lisbet Fernandez Ramos
From: Spain
Date: 2016
Jardín displays five figures of children to represent our differences as individuals within a group.