The Floral Tapestry at Morton Park

September 26, 2005 - As the winds of autumn make their inevitable presence known more and more each day, the beautifully maintained flower beds in one of Vancouver's busiest beachfront areas never looked better. The islands of flowers that comprise the diminutive Morton Triangle Parks, where Beach Avenue meets Denman Street, have received kudos aplenty over the past three years with their bold plantings and compositions tiered-up to give an impression of great depth where actual area is limited.

This past summer has been no exception in the compliment department as the Park Board has received numerous emails, letters and phone calls praising the exotic and well chosen plantings comprising the triangles, raised granite planters along the English Bay beachfront and at nearby Alexandra Park. Under the design guidance of Batina Harvey and in cooperation with her assistant gardener Kim Mead, the velvety flowers have achieved an end of season tapestry effect which brings a skip to the unexpectant heart when confronted with such natural beauty.

Of course, like most things Park Board, the end product has had the touch of many hands along the way, from the Sunset Nursery where over 500,000 annuals receive their start in life from seed to bedding plant, to the compost created from seasonally collected fallen park leaves. In the case of the Morton Triangle beds over 1,100 small plants were used to complete one bed.

To every thing there is a season and as these summer flowers, that gave us so much pleasure make way for bulbs timed to bloom in a not-to-distant spring, we stop and take in this vivid scene so ripe with fullness before the first October frost descends.

Here's a list of some of the prominent plant varieties that partnered-up for Morton Triangle flower beds for your future balcony or backyard planting schemes:

Facing English Bay - West	Facing English Bay - West	Facing North
Brugmansia	Colocasia 'Black Magic'	Colocasia
Ipomea 'Margarita'	Iresine	Ricinus 'Communis'
Rudbeckia 'Prairie Sun'	Zinnia 'Profusion Cherry'	Nicotiana 'Sylvestrus'

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