I pay a visit to the Wintergarden at the Auckland Domain.
It's much warmer in the hothouses and I enjoy looking at all the plant displays. The stinking arum lily is no longer in bloom, but everything else looks magnificent. There are hanging baskets full of plants trailing to the ground. There are giant palms. Pitcher plants, water lilies. Coffee and cacao trees. Bromeliads by the dozen. Spotty and striped leaved plants with unusual patterns.
A luxuriant tropical paradise.
In the other hothouse are flowers, hyacinth, chinese lanterns, ornamental peppers. Rows and rows of cyclamen. Unusually for hyacinth, the scent is cloying. I think the blooms are off. I'm not sure I'm a big fan of hyacinth after all. They seem rather forced in this climate. Cyclamen enjoy the auckland weather.
The fernery is a cool haven and even in winter you feel it alive and green. It's enchanting the way the lacy fronds engulf you, grow out of rocks, looking like green angels wings. I think I definitely want more ferns for my garden.
The Wintergarden commemorates 100 years of ANZAC day, in a clipped hedge. I like this little hedge art. It reminds me of the floral clock in Albert Park. Plants can look like pictures too, and be made into words and numbers.
I think it's one of my most favourite places in Auckland to hang out, especially in winter.
The pond in the centre never gets frozen, but It might be cool if they did put an ice rink there. Or maybe outside the museum. Imagine Auckland having snow. We could ski and toboggan down Auckland domain, one tree hill and Mount Eden. We could make snowmen and ice sculptures. I'm sure I've seen some in China and they make ice sculptures of the Auckland Ferry Building?! The only place that gets snow up in Auckland is Snowplanet near Albany and you have to pay about $35 just to go there.
My friend and I had a hot chocolate at the kiosk and sat overlooking the little palm grove pond area with the birds chattering away and it was very nice.
