a circus treat

One of the best parts of the fall season around here, is the annual Mum Show.

Tens of thousands of mums, all on display at the Gage Park Greenhouse.

And this year there were many surprises – for we were at the circus!!

It was a miserable wet and windy day when I went, so this magnificent carousel had no riders.

But, inside it was comfortable, 

and there were more carousel horses, games of chance, posters, photos...

Some of the photos definitely looked like a freak show, and it was a little uncomfortable seeing what was on offer as entertainment.

a dancing bear, (but not a real dancing bear, that's cruel)

Of course, JUMBO was there!

and a lion tamer! 

somehow, exclamation marks seem appropriate

and, of course, more thousands of mums

a walk around the greenhouse for Jo's Monday Walk

and Our World Tuesday

mums on parade

It is time for the annual Mum Show in Hamilton where 0ver 200 varieties of chrysanthemums hold a party at the Gage Park Greenhouse

and the theme this year is Mardi Gras

the sun was shining a little too brightly through the greenhouse windows as we strolled down the streets of New Orleans

there were beads draped around the mums, and made of mums

I have done beaded jewellery, and it could not possibly compare to the painstaking work to put these floral beads together

and then there were the masks... 

murals of flowery masks

as well as masks nestled in flowers

and what is New Orleans without music and dancing

or the courtly jester or the trickster crow

(as a side note, there are many thousands entertaining crows over New Orleans

and thousands are entertained by the soccer team called the New Orleans Jesters)

The jesters were also on parade to help identify the many different varieties of mums that you could never find in your neighbourhood nursery or garden centre

a short diversion for the fall garden lovers for Jo's Monday Walks 

check out the 'Mum Show' links in the tags for previous years versions.

also part of Travel Tuesday

and Our World Tuesday

chrysanthemummies

The annual Mum Show has a different theme each year

this year it's 

there are over 200 varieties of mums on display

an old hearse from a local funeral home

music anyone? we may need a new pianist

boiling up trouble ... or making pumpkin soup?

which is scarier ... the mummies, or the spiders?

tiny town on Hallowe'en night

mummies identifying some of the varieties of mums

for OurWorldTuesday