Carnival of Flowers...

Remember how DH and I spent the last weekend of September in Wandoan? 

On the Sunday morning we awoke to this view....

And then it was time for a shower, some breakfast and repacking our bags, ready to head home. On the trip to Wandoan we had had a very short stop in Toowoomba. But by leaving Wandoan fairly early we would be able to have a longer stop to check out some of the Carnival of Flowers displays on the way back. 

We arrived in Toowoomba early afternoon and went straight to Queens Park. As usual, Toowoomba didn't disappoint...this annual display of gardens always have the wow factor! 

Queens Park is only one of the many places with magnificent garden displays for the Carnival of Flowers. DH and I have been to this event a few times and it's quite exhausting trying to see everything the city displays have to offer. But this time we were content just to visit this one venue. 

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers/ Laurel Bank Park....

Ha ha! I took sooooo many photos today that I will share them over a couple of posts. Toowoomba is 'perched on top' of the range and is known as the 'Garden City' (just like you remembered Dorothy)...

We start the climb...

The road is wider than it was when I was growing up...it's a much better road now... 

We've finished the drive up the range and are now in Toowoomba..on the lefthand side through the windscreen, garden beds at the city's outskirts can be seen...

One of the old buildings ...

 Our first stop was the Information Centre, where we picked up a map... There are 4 public garden displays for the Carnival and we headed then to Laurel Bank Park in the west of the city...

This is the sensory garden...the low hedge on the right is tightly clipped rosemary. The triangular garden bed is edged in flowering garlic...

 We walked up the pathways admiring the displays of flowering plants...

There were quite a few clivias in the park...

Looking towards a bed containing topiaries  

One of my favourite flowers...irises

This bed was themed Dr Who and is a Dalek...

The Old Man in the Moon...

The colours were just so bright! :-)

DH gallantly climbed the 'tower' to take photos looking down...

 The overall theme was 'Out of this world' and DH climbed the lookout 'tower' to take photos for me. It was very crowded up there so it wasn't easy.

This is a 'train' made out of hedging plants...

The friendly 'face' of the engine...

Our next stop was at another of the public garden displays, the Japanese Garden at the University of Southern Qld campus...but that's for next time :-)