Sunday - day 10 - Akureyri, Iceland - part 2 - Botanic Gardens

Part 1 can be found here: https://journeyinamazinggrace.blogspot.com/2026/08/sunday-day-10-akureyri-iceland-part-1.html

We continued walking in Akureyri to the Botanic Gardens.

Map of the gardens as we entered -- there was no "you are here" marker, but we entered at the east gate near the top right.

There were signs pointing the way to different parts of the garden.

I asked Carl to take pictures of anything he thought was pretty... and he thought that a LOT of the flowers, particularly purple ones, in the garden were pretty! I'm getting the identifications of the flowers via Google Lens, so accuracy is not guaranteed...

Giant Bellflower

Hardy Geranium - do you see the bee just right of the center of the picture?

Jerusalem sage or sage-leaf mullein -- in the mint family

Clustered Bellflower

"This plant is identified as Betonica macrantha, a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, also known as big betony."

Giant Bellflower 

Austrian Speedwell, a hardy perennial valued for its intense, Gentian blue flowers

Bellflowers

"The plant is identified as a type of Ligularia, commonly known as a Leopard Plant or Golden Ray."

"Liguria plant, likely the popular cultivar known as 'The Rocket'" 

Siberian Iris - "... characterized by its slender, tall stems and intricate blue petals. The plant thrives in moist soil, often positioned near water features like ponds in garden settings. It typically features bluish-green, strap-like leaves and can grow between 2 and 4 feet tall." 

A "stolen" kiss on the bridge over the garden pond...

Joe encouraged a non-stolen kiss!

Foxglove - "Digitalis purpurea, known for its tall spikes of tubular, bell-shaped flowers. The flowers in the image are a deep pink-purple hue with characteristic speckled markings inside the blooms. Foxgloves are popular in cottage gardens but are highly toxic if ingested, though they are also the original source of the heart medication digoxin." I love the speckles inside the blooms. These were right next to the greenhouse in the gardens.

Another foxglove

Delphiniums, also known as larkspur

Another Delphinium

Yet another Delphinium

And yet more Delphiniums 

I was thinking (but could not remember) a poem about "Delphinium (blue)", so I looked it up after we got back on ship. Google told me:

The famous poem featuring "delphiniums (blue)" is "The Dormouse and the Doctor" by A.A. Milne, first published in his 1924 collection When We Were Very Young.

Opening Lines of the Poem

There once was a Dormouse who lived in a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red),
And all the day long he'd a wonderful view
Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

We had When We Were Very Young when I was a child (maybe we still have it somewhere!). 

"This flower bed features a mix of Marguerite Daisies and Pansies or Violas. The border includes vibrant Petunias in shads of pink and purple. Osteospermum (African Daisy) can also be seen, known for its long blooming season."

California poppies -- the bees were having a field day in these flowers, rooting around within the bloom and emerging appearing drunk with pollen!

'Petite Jenny', commonly known as Ragged Robin

A pretty mound of flowers

Probably more flower pictures than anyone wants to look at -- but when you consider that we were not far south of the Arctic Circle, it is wonderful that this garden exists!

More from Akureyri in another post!