Wisteria Lane's really in Parramatta Park???

I returned this week to Parrmatta Park and discoverd an extension of the park that works its way out to a nursing home called "Cumberland Hospital." The facility has a garden out front that buts to the park. Called "Wisteria Gardens," I believe that it is open to the public only throughout the month of September, when its famous wisteria vines bloom. As you can see from my photos, wisteria's not the only thing blooming!

Casually, I preached on the glories of this garden during a weekday Mass and one ancient parishioner came up afterwards and shared how her grandmother would take her to the gardens when she was a little girl! She said, "Those vines are older than the hils!" She also shared how the nursing home used to be a facility for those suffering mental illness. I imagine the beauty of nature brought many people peace. I know it was wonderful for me!

This first photo is of an arch at the entrance from the park into the gardens (1). Lots of pansies were blooming too (2). And this is a lane of flowering trees heading toward the hospital (3). Aren't these purple things pretty (11)? I also loved the variation of these blooms that reminded me of cherry blossoms (16-20). Among the blooms I found a native mynah (19) sucking up nectar.

These are some close ups of the delicate wisteria blooms (22-24). The vines (some seemed more like trees) lined the bank of a stream that leads out to the river where you can catch a ferry out to Sydney Harbor (26). In the stream I found this colorful duck (27-28). I love the contrast of its bright red beak against the vibrant green of the water plants.

These are more trees closer up to the hospital (29-32). And these are close ups of the all colors under the sun of poppies in bloom (33-37). Check out the layers of flowers in this shot (40). Some parting shots as the sun set (44-45).

These last three shots are of a wedding I had this past Saturday (46-48). The groom is a superhero fan. While the bride rode in a stretch limo, he came in on the bat mobile! Thankfully, they rode out in a convertible and he didn't make the bride fold herself into the bat mobile! I think I might even have felt a bit claustrophobic in that car!