The Beauties of VanDusen ~ May 17th

Nora and I were very happy to meet up with another family that we traveled to China with back in Sept. 2010. Living in the BC interior, they don't have opportunity to meet our travel group often, so we were quick to accept their invitation to meet in Vancouver. (Our last visit was in Kamloops in July.) And what could be nicer in Spring than the lovely VanDusen Botanical Garden.

Amelia is used to a big sister role!

Nora with Robert, Gillian, Amelia & Saffron

A reminder of how we posed everywhere in China together...

...although, this is the Korean pavilion. :)

Saffron is a couple of weeks older than Nora.

Getting everyone to look at the camera at one time is just a little too hard!

The "Maze"... Amelia led the way.

Gillian loved the array of colours. I sometimes take it for granted.

Our time together was too quick, but very special. Seeing how far Nora and Saffron have come is very rewarding. Our little girls, all three of them, are truly the loveliest blooms here to us. :)

Time to leave, but with plans for a possible summer gathering.

With some time left before needing to pick up the boys, I decided to stay longer and go back to take some pictures. Sadly, I've only been here twice as it never seemed quite feasible to take men of any age along with me to enjoy the flowers. :)

Nora enjoys her hot dog lunch... she never knew that I enjoyed the scone on my own!

 Peonies... I absolutely love them.  (So do the slugs in my garden...)

Allium, from the onion family. 

Laburnum lane... heavenly.

Living in the Lower Mainland, I have come to love rhododendrons and azaleas. May is just not May without  searching out these colourful bushes with my eyes as I drive down familiar streets. Here is just a sampling at the Garden....

We found this lovely bench when we went "off-road" with the stroller.

Sword ferns with woodland hyacinths.

Sunny poppies, so graceful.

I would have loved to spend more time, with a better camera, but unfortunately Nora hasn't embraced the floral world as enthusiastically as me. It was still a wonderful day to get out of my house and see the season so alive around me. And of course, meeting up with Nora's "China sister" is the best. :)