In My Friend's Garden

Some flowers in my friend's garden - December 2009.

Real or Fake?

These were in a vase near the front door in a friend's house.  Do you think they are real?

Clover

It is surprise to see patches of green clover in China.  Here in Australia we tend to see it as a weed and I don't recall at any time seeing it as a feature in a garden.  It actually looked quite spectacular!

Flowers at Qiandao Hu

Thousand Island Lake or Qiandao Hu as the locals will call it is an extra ordinary place, in Zhejiang Province south of Hangzhou. I recommend that one reads the story of this man-made lake that swallowed up some cities in its making. It is full of spectacular scenery and is a magnet for tourists - I've never seen so many boats! They all seemed to be leaving the harbour to head out to the huge lake at the same time!

At the entrance to the boat harbour where tourists arrive and meet the boat that will take them out onto the lake are some spectacular gardens. I don't know the names of the flowers - many were a mystery to me, but the show was grand. Well worth a visit for the floral displays, but there is much more to this place.

Hydrangeas

Another pot of flowers that are around the campus are hydrangeas. Fabulous flowers in pots. Enjoy.

Canna Lily

It is canna lily time. At the end of June 2010 these were in full bloom near the guard house at the main entrance of Yuexiu University, Shaoxing.

A great show of colour!!

Xiang Lake - Xiaoshan

Apparently not a lot of people know about the lake at Xiaoshan - Lake Xiang. It certainly is very beautiful with wonderful landscaped gardens around the lake. It was a Sunday so many people were enjoying the scenery.

Water on the Lily Pads.

In my last few days in China I visited a former student in Xiaoshan, which is near Hangzhou. Actually the international airport that services that region is at Xiaoshan. I had caught the bus from Shaoxing, which travelled from that city through Keqaio and on to Xiaoshan - it was all built area with very old housing and industrial buildings along the route. Somewhat depressing really, and when I arrived SY was not far away and turned up in her new red car.

The city was busy and she could not get a park so she drove to a newer area where the city was being rebuilt. Wider roads, modern buildings and more parks. The shopping centre was very quiet and there was plenty of parking. We had lunchat a little restaurant, before she drove out to a lake. A very pretty lake.

The photos above were taken around the lake. I am not sure whether they are lily pads or lotus. I thought lotus leaves usually swayed above the water, but there were lotus flowers and no leaves other than these sitting on the top of the water. I thought the little pools of water sitting on the lily pads were fascinating.

It had rained heavily not long before we arrived and the water on the lily pad was no doubt from that rain.

Flowers in Jiefung Lu

Jiefung Lu is the main street of Shaoxing. This area a week ago was quite desolate. Road workers who had been employed on upgrading the road over the past few weeks had lived in a makeshift tent to the left of the picture.

The flowers that had been there had died and what was left was a pretty miserable display.

On my last day in Shaoxing, I passed this area only to find all new plants had appeared and the place was all cleaned up and was looking quite spectacular. The city has spruced up for the World Choir Games which start in the city on July 15th, 2010.

I'm impressed with the way they use seedlings in pots to create spectacular show pieces.