Tag Archives: gardening

Travel

Canada Garden Ranks Seven for Most Beautiful Spring Flowers

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The Butchart Gardens, Canada, is the seventh most beautiful spring flower spot in the world, according to a new study.

#7 worldwide- Butchart Gardens, Victoria, British Columbia.

With springtime on the horizon, there are beautiful gardens all around the world filled with flowers getting ready to bloom. But which of these spots deserve a place on your travel bucket list?

Looking at flower locations across the globe, our friends and experts at Japan Rail Pass analyzed a variety of factors – including Google reviews and ratings, Instagram hashtags, and the vibrancy of the flowers in spring – to give an overall score and determine which flower spots you absolutely should not miss this spring.

The most beautiful spring flower spots around the world

RankFlower spotLocationRatingReviewsInstagram hashtagsVibrancy/10Score/10
1Keukenhof Tulip GardensLisse, NL4.752,812692,1469.969.7
2Shinjuku GyoenTokyo, Japan4.636,115856,0567.299.3
3Royal Botanic Gardens, KewLondon, UK4.744,465764,9966.499.2
4Nabana no SatoMie, Japan4.45,327507,0089.349.0
5Dubai Miracle GardenDubai, UAE4.675,704139,1658.788.9
6Island MainauKonstanz, Germany4.728,977170,8957.908.7
7The Butchart GardensB.C., Canada4.721,596102,2587.548.3
8Valley of Flowers National ParkChamoli, India4.73,432115,9408.438.3
9Yangmingshan National ParkTaipei, Taiwan4.524,267129,5466.638.3
10Kirstenbosch National Botanical GardenCape Town, South Africa4.829,00351,5267.788.2

Please find the full dataset here.

  1. Keukenhof Tulip Gardens, Lisse, Netherlands – 9.7/10

Credit – Sutterstock_Marina Datsenko

According to the research, the most beautiful flower spot in the world is the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens of Lisse, Netherlands, which has exhibited spring flowers to the public since 1950. 

The tulips in spring achieve an almost perfect vibrancy score of 9.96/10, proving just how bright and colourful these stunning gardens are.

  1. Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo, Japan – 9.3/10

Credit – Sutterstock_Benny Marty

Next in the rankings, is the beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen in Tokyo, Japan. From the wide variety of cherry blossoms in the national garden, it is the Somei (Yoshino cherry) that bloom in spring.

The beautiful Japanese garden has over 856,000 Instagram hashtags, more than any other spot in the top 10, with people all over the world travelling to view the cherry blossoms.

  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, UK – 9.2/10

Credit – Sutterstock_Charles Bowman

The third most beautiful spring flower spot according to the study is in London, England: The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

With almost as many Instagram hashtags as Shinjuku Gyoen (764,996) and 44,465 reviews, it is clear that the flowers found here, cherry blossom, bluebells, and magnolias to name a few, are beloved by many.

  1. Nabana no Sato, Mie, Japan – 9.0/10

Credit – Sutterstock_martinho Smart

In fourth place is the Nabana no Sato flower park, located in the Nagashima resort in Mie, Japan.

The spot is known for its illuminations throughout the park in winter through to spring, as well as the blooming cherry blossoms and tulips which scored a 9.34/10 for vibrancy in the study.

  1. Dubai Miracle Garden, UAE – 8.9/10

Credit – Sutterstock_Sergii Figurnyi

The fifth most beautiful spring flower spot in the study was found to be the Dubai Miracle Garden in the United Arab Emirates, which occupies over 72,000 square metres, making it the largest natural flower garden in the world.

With over 75,000 reviews since its opening in 2013, and a vibrancy score of 8.78/10, it is clear that this impressive garden deserves its place in the top five rankings.

Methodology:

1. Japan Rail Pass wanted to find out which are the best flower spots around the world to see in Spring.

2. To do this they collected data on 25 popular flower locations around the world including the following variables:

  • Google ratings and reviews.
  • Instagram hashtags (using all relevant hashtags including where applicable local language versions)
  • Vibrancy score.

3. Finally, all 4 variables were combined using weighted averages of percentrank/normalization to give an overall  score out of 10.

Culture

More Exciting Activities for Seniors

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If you thought that ageing was boring, you were wrong. Gone are the days of the bingo-playing Senior (although, there’s nothing wrong with a little bingo). Nowadays, you can find Seniors engaging in activities of all sorts.

Well-rounded activities aren’t limited to nursing homes or assisted living centres. Because more and more people are choosing to age at home, you can find Seniors participating in community and neighborhood events. Find the right home health care agency for your loved one so he or she can reap the benefits of a Personal Support Worker (PSW) and an in-home caregiving team!

With home health care, your family member or friend can engage in activities right in the comfort of their own home and community. Professional caregiving teams can help find clubs and activities for Seniors that are accessible and in the neighborhood.

Consider these fun activities that older adults can enjoy.

Walking Clubs

Walking around the community is an excellent way for Seniors to fit exercise into their daily routine. When done with others, it’s also a way to make friends and to keep social. Many communities organize special transportation so that club members can walk in nearby parks or walking paths.

Group Exercise Classes

Group exercise classes such as chair yoga, tai chi, or ballroom dancing are engaging ways to keep Seniors physically active. It’s also another opportunity to meet other people and to make friends who have similar interests.

Regular physical activity will also keep Seniors in shape and is a good preventative measure against falling because it increases stability through muscle strengthening and stretching.

Book Clubs

It’s also important for Seniors to exercise their minds, and to incorporate reading into their routines.

Senior book clubs exist in many community centres and churches, and becoming a member is always a good idea. It encourages people to read so that they can participate in book club discussions with fellow members.

Seniors will maintain sharp mental awareness and make a few friends in the process!

Gardening Clubs

Seniors have more time to devote to hobbies than when they were working full-time or had a family to raise. When people choose to stay at home and have access to a yard or even a balcony, they can cultivate a garden and exercise that green thumb.

Gardening is an excellent way to relax, and the feeling of harvesting flowers, vegetables, and fruits and watching them grow is a truly unique experience.

Participate in Charitable Works

Giving back to the community is a great way to stay engaged and participate in worthwhile and meaningful activities. Donating one’s time to a charitable endeavor gives Seniors a sense of purpose.

Contact local charities, churches and spiritual centers, museums and other cultural institutions, health organizations — the list goes on and on — to see if your loved one can contribute to particular projects and events.

It’s also a great way to meet people and to stay connected to the community.

Although playing bingo is entertaining on occasion, there are so many other fulfilling activities out there for Seniors. Explore what your loved one’s community has to offer! For the Silo, Mila Urosevic.

Culture

Can Another Ottawa Residence Win Canada’s Best Garden Street?

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Congratulations! Russell Avenue in Ottawa’s Sandy Hill neighbourhood is the winner of the Canada’s Best Garden Street contest.
Russell Avenue in Ottawa’s Sandy Hill
neighbourhood is the winner of the Canada’s Best Garden Street contest.

Toronto, ON Garden Days – The month of June hosts Canada’s three-day celebration of gardens and gardening. There are loads of Garden Days official activities scheduled across the country, and almost every province has a Flagship Event for you to enjoy. It’s the perfect time to get dirty in one’s own garden, visit a nearby public garden or spend some time in a local garden center.

You’ll be in great company
If you’re planning travelling around the province or across Canada this Summer, be sure to visit a few of the many public gardens that we’re becoming world renowned for.  Dr. Richard Benfield, author of ‘Garden Tourism’ estimates that annually there are 6 million garden tourists in Canada.

And the winner is . . .

On the occasion of our upcoming National Garden Day, Friday, June 13, the Canadian Garden Council is pleased to announce the winner of the Garden Days’ ‘Best Garden Street’ Contest which celebrates the contribution that public and/or private gardens have made to the quality of life on individual streets and neighbourhoods.  The winner of $1000 worth of Marks’ Choice Lawn and Garden products from Home Hardware, and the bragging rights to be named ‘Canada’s Best Garden Street’ is: Mary Moreland, Russell Avenue, Ottawa.

Garden Days spokesperson, Mark Cullen, recently said, “The partnership between the hand of man and Mother Nature has produced some of the highest quality green spaces and gardens in Canada and on earth.  Garden Days, a new idea that’s all about this successful collaboration, has been sown on fertile soil.  I have no doubt that the ideas and principles behind the concept will sprout and grow into national significance.  And the sooner the better.”
This coming weekend join in the national celebration of everything that the Garden contributes the quality of all our lives.

Garden Days are a family affair. Photo: Pierre Boucher
Garden Days are a family affair. Photo: Pierre Boucher

Organized by the Canadian Garden Council, and kicked off with National Garden Day, always the Friday before Father’s Day, Garden Days is a three-day celebration of gardens and gardening.  The program’s objective is to draw attention to Canada’s garden culture, history and innovations and to underscore the importance of public and private gardens, the values of home gardening and the promotion of environmental stewardship. For the Silo, Courtney Charette.

Earth

Canadian Garden Days Is Annual Event Celebrating Vital Role Of Gardening

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'Garden Days' - June 13, 14 & 15 - are the ideal time to see what lies beyond your nearest public garden's gate. Photo: Tara Nolan
‘Garden Days’ – are the ideal time to see what lies beyond your nearest public garden’s gate.
Photo: Tara Nolan

DO YOU LIVE ON CANADA’S BEST GARDEN STREET? Canada is a country made up of neighbourhoods, and in many are streets where neighbours take pride in making their gardens – and even city-owned medians – as pretty as possible through their collaborative ‘green thumbed’ efforts.

As part of this year’s Garden Days program, being held across the country from June 16 to 24, the Canadian Garden Council invites you to register your Garden Days activity. Let us know why your street is the prettiest in the country and how it contributes to your, and the neighborhood’s, quality of life. All Canadian gardens, garden centres, horticultural and plant societies, garden clubs, schools, garden-related businesses and communities are invited to organize Garden Days activities or events – between June 16 and 24 – to celebrate public gardens and home gardening.

Twelve garden gnomes have escaped from The Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island! Might they be among the dahlias? Help find them during 'Garden Days', June 13, 14 & 15
The Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island.

Garden Days is organized by the Canadian Garden Council, and begins with National Garden Day on the Friday before Father’s Day, Garden Days is a three-day celebration of gardens and gardening across Canada.  The program’s objective is to draw attention to Canada’s garden culture, history and innovations and to underscore the importance of public and private gardens, the values of home gardening and the promotion of environmental stewardship. Garden Days is a joyful, country-wide celebration of the role of gardens in our communities and in our lives. To find a Garden Days activity near you visit:  http://www.gardendays.ca and click on the ‘Activity’ button. For the Silo, Courtney Charette.

Garden Days is sponsored by: Scott’s, Miracle-Gro, bullfrogpower and supported by Communities in Bloom and the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association.

Follow Garden Days on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/CanadasGardens  and join in the conversation at #GardenDaysCanada