name that flower...

I wandered through Minter Gardens with a friend last weekend.  A shower had just passed through...and the blooms looked lovely decked out in droplets of rain.  The rose garden was smelling heavenly...and we enjoyed reading the labels that identified each variety.  I especially thought the 'singin' in the rain floribunda' was appropriately named!  But throughout the rest of the garden...the plants came with no name.  We pooled our limited plant wisdom...and were able to identify many of the plants...but some remained nameless.  Though I am not that good at remembering names...I still like to be properly introduced.  I'd love to see the plants wearing their name tags.  It would make for more of a learning experience.

But...until that happens...does anyone happen to know the name of plant in the centre of the bottom row above?  The leaves looked rather like those of a rhodo.

 Or what do you think this flower might be called?
 

And did you know that each one of these gerbera daisies comes with their own name.  We toured the daisy greenhouses last weekend...and enjoyed reading the names of each variety.  We asked the grower if he knew all their names...of course he did! 

I rather liked these formal looking white and black ones....and I think they may have been called tuxedo daisies.

I am very happy to see the hydrangeas are about ready for cutting.  Hydrangea bouquets are my summertime favorites. Whatever is blooming in your garden today...enjoy (whether you know what they are called...or not)!