Ken Boddie

5 years ago · 3 min. reading time · ~10 ·

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Floral Fest for the Inner West

Floral Fest for the Inner West

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Once every year, the inland city of Toowoomba becomes a kaleidoscope of colour, as the annual spring Carnival of Flowers attracts tourists from far and wide, like bees to the honey pot. Perched on the edge of the Darling Downs, Toowoomba is bounded to the east by a tall and imposing escarpment which drops steeply down towards the Lockyer Valley, with Brisbane some 120 km beyond. The majority of this second most populous inland city in Australia, however, rolls across the gentle dip slopes as though aspiring to face towards the path of the early inland explorers like Cunningham and Fraser.

There are the formal gardens, such as Queens Park, Laurel Bank Park, the State Rose Garden, Picnic Point and the Boyce Gardens and Rainforest, strategically set out around the inner suburbs of the city, with the Japanese Gardens uniquely and awesomely manicured further out to the south west, on the edge of the university campus.  Then there are the myriads of privately owned competition gardens, dotted around the community, like special petal clusters, specially open to the public for this ten day floral festival, each uniquely different and serenely special in its own way, leaving the visitor stunned into appreciative silence.  All of these floral tributes are a haven for birdlife, buzzy bees and the occasional flitting butterfly.

This year the theme at Laurel Bank Park was the XXI Commonwealth Games, held in April of this year at the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane. This explains, to the uninitiated, why there were so many cardboard cut-out athletes around the central display, each implicitly threatening to squash the carpet of blooms beneath and around them (as depicted in the title image).

It is impossible, at this time of year in Toowoomba, to escape the blossoms, blooms and bursting bouquets of boronias, banksias (Australian honeysuckle), bottlebrush (callistemon) and begonias.

2a5edca9.jpgNor are you likely to miss the pastel pink posies of petunias, the gorgeous gerbera daisies, and the rows and rows of roses. Then there's the lush landscapes of lavender, the magnificent magnolias, lanky long lupins, and a Netherland of therapeutic tulips.

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521b09b8.jpgOne particularly quirky private garden caught our eye at Mable Street, on the north side of town.  First prize winner of the Family Gardens class, this magical carpeted playing field was reportedly laid out to entertain and engage the single parent owner's children, although he mentioned during our visit that it's the 'oldies' who appear to get most out of his labours, chuckling their way around the various themes. You can see below a special little spot, set out for the 'littlies', and with that famous song softly playing through speakers in the background.

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If you go down in the woods today,
You're sure of a big surprise,
If you go down in the woods today,
You'd better go in disguise!
For every bear that ever there was,
Will gather there for certain because,
Today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic.Anne Murray's "Teddy Bear's Picnic"
At the same location we were invited up to the rear balcony of the two story cottage, where, nestled in a cocoon of tree branches and moss, was a feeding tray being eagerly attacked by a squadron of red-browed finches.
ba303ef5.jpgFor our finale for the day, we happily ambled around Queens Park, amid crowds of eager locals and visitors, comprising 'clicks' of focused photographers; waddles and rolls, plus hops, skips and jumps of babies, toddlers and small children; muddles of mums and dads; and squads of senior citizens; all inhaling the fragrance of these floral tributes to Mummy Nature and just content to be in the midst of fields of collective happiness and tranquility.
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So many blooms, so little time, for we had, yet again, made the mistake of only coming up to the 'Woomb' for the day.
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Photographs

The photos in this post were all triggered by my own bony finger, and subjected to some minor post processing (via Photoshop) to refocus by reframing, to banish unwanted shadows, and to improve clarity.
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625d7d3e.jpgWhen not researching the weird or the wonderful, the comical or the cultured, the sinful or the serious, I chase my creative side, the results of which can be seen as selected photographs of my travels on my website at:

http://ken-boddie.squarespace.com

The author of the above, Ken Boddie, besides being a sometime poet and occasional writer, is an enthusiastic photographer, rarely leisure-travelling without his Canon, and loves to interact with other like-minded people with diverse interests.

Ken's three day work week (part time commitment) as a consulting engineer allows him to follow his photography interests, and to plan trips to an ever increasing list of countries and places of scenic beauty and cultural diversity.


Comments

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #13

#16
I haven’t heard of “that place” either, Pascal. 🤣😂🤣

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #12

Fab pics and I had never heard of that place before today 👏

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #11

#13
We always seem to leave this trip to the last minute, Franci\ud83d\udc1dEugenia Hoffman, beBee Brand Ambassador, when the accommodation’s all booked up. I guess we could’ve slept in the woods ..... but those teddy bears can be feisty at night. 🤣😂🤣

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #10

#12
many thanks, Teagan Geneviene, but just remember, “If you go down to the woods today, You’d better go in disguise”. 🤣😂🤣

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #9

#9
Flattery will get you everywhere, Jennifer Leach-Trask, even to Toowoomba. 😉

Ian Weinberg

5 years ago #8

#6
Busy on all fronts. Also had the wind knocked out of me by my doggie’s illness and death. But otherwise strong and looking forward to the trip to Oz and meeting up with the family next month.

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #7

#4
Thanks, Debasish, for frequently popping in to peep at my pollin.

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #6

#2
#3 Too kind, Ian Weinberg. Roses are red, Grass lawns are green, Ain’t seen you much lately, How’ve you been?

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #5

#1
Thanks, Paul Walters, for your polinating praise.

Debasish Majumder

5 years ago #4

lovely buzz Ken Boddie! enjoyed read and shared. thank you for the buzz.

Ian Weinberg

5 years ago #3

Forgot to add Ken Boddie - great article and delicious pics.

Ian Weinberg

5 years ago #2

Ken Boddie A sure petal burst that creates a thirst, for a roll in the hay or a rush for the lush, flush, mush. Talking about lawns, you should try some of this stuff!

Paul Walters

5 years ago #1

Ken Boddie a true floralfest !!!

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