I didn't want to hog the blooms thread . . .
I went to the botanical gardens yesterday (DH reminded me I can't take flowers home with me!), and thought I'd share a few pix . . .
This is a solid wall of Cypress Vines. There were none blooming at the time, but the few petals I saw were white . . .
This message was edited Oct 29, 2008 7:19 AM
Here is the "inside" view of the Cypress Vine wall . . .
I think butterflies are so cute!
I really had no idea what a papaya tree looked like!
I did mention I like butterflies, but it is just coincidence that one is in this picture. The blooms are way past their prime, but I wanted proof I saw solid yellow Pride of Barbados blooms! (too bad the seed pods were still green!)
Wisteria Arbor . . . I'll need to go back in spring when it's blooming . . .
Black pepper, anyone?
Look at the branches of this palm . . .
I don't know if this will turn out, but the leaf in the middle . . . looks big enough to be shield size . . . it's huge! There was no sign on the tree, so I don't know what it is . . .
View of downtown . . .
I like this one . . .
Can't forget the Orchid room . . .
I don't know the names of any of these . . .
Pretty purple . .
And one interesting looking cactus . . . someone in the ID forum identified it as Starfish Plant . . .
This message was edited Oct 29, 2008 8:10 AM
Syru, Thank you so much for sharing your journey through the Botanical Gardens! Is that one near you in San Antonio? I just love Botanical Gardens, sure wish we had a nice one here. We actually do have an old Sugar Mill ruins that is now a botanical gardens but I haven't been since they first opened and it wasn't much back then. I need to put it on my list of things to do in the near future to see how it looks now.
That plant with the huge leaves that is in with the palm trees looks to be an Aroid (Elephant Ears) of some sort. Some get really huge leaves! Your last photo is a Stapelia, possibly S. gigantea: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2273/ The flowers do resemble sea stars ... very pretty!
Got any more pic's of the gardens to share?
Here's a plant in my backyard that is blooming right now. This is Christmas Senna/Winter Senna tree that I grew from a cutting my backyard neighbor gave me! I love this tree when it's in bloom ... really pretty. Mine has hundreds of buds yet to open and I hope to get another picture when it's really in full bloom!
Thanks for the tour!
That Wisteria arbor is going to be amazing in the Spring ☺
Last one is a Staplia. Aka road kill cactus, because they smell like road kill..eeewwwww.
I have several.
oops, forgot to add the picture.
Christmas Senna
plantladylin - it does sortof look like elephant ears, but it was a tree, not the usual bushy-type plants you usually see. But then, it may grow into a tree under the right circumstances! It was located in the Palm & Cycad Pavilion.
Oh, that does look nice! Did it take long to get to that size? Is it the same as my senna alata - it will disappear during winter, but come back even bigger in spring?
This was in the Fern Grotto
This is a stairway leading to the amphitheater . . .
This message was edited Oct 29, 2008 9:32 AM
Side walkway of amphitheater . . .
Amphitheater #2
Amphitheater #3
This is the "Overlook"
They really stink, huh? I guess I DON'T want one, then!
Which is where I took these . . .
Palm & Cycad Pavillion
This message was edited Oct 29, 2008 9:39 AM
Left is Northrup Tropical Room, right is Kleberg Desert Pavilion
This is the Exhibit Room. This is where the orchids are . . .
Children's Vegetable Garden #1
If only I could have one half this size some day!
CVG #2
CVG #3
In the "East Texas Pineywoods" area, they had alot of "dummies" standing around. Each had some kind of reflective strip in different spots on their chest . . . not sure why, etc. Will find out next time . . .
This is one of the treehouses on display . . .
What a great place! I'm curious too about the dummies/mummies hanging around with reflective strips! I wonder if they are getting ready for some night time halloween thing? Let us know if you find out what's up with those things!
I still think that one plant in your photo with the palms is an Aroid. There are some aroids that get as large as trees. I have some Tree Philo's in my yard: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/145313/ that get pretty huge. And, there's one called Alocasia macrorrihos that gets pretty big too ... some well over 7' tall. Check out this one in PF: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/178606/ where the lady took a picture of her husband standing beside it.
I sure would like to take a Botanical Garden Vacation ... just travel around and visit different gardens around the country!
One lone Gerbera Daisy I found blooming yesterday.
Syru: The Senna alata: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/371/ has a different look to the flowers. I love the looks of that one, the blooms really do look like candles so the common name of Candle Tree fits that one! I see it grows in my zone ... maybe we can do a cutting swap in the spring? I can send you cuttings of my S. bicapularis and you can send me cuttings of S. alata?
Here's a close up pick of the Christmas Senna blooms:
Forgot to add the link to PF for the Christmas Senna, S. bicapsularis: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1328/ so you can see the difference.
I just love Yellow flowers!
This message was edited Oct 29, 2008 11:24 AM
The Star Fish Plant is Stapelia gigantea
Thanks for the tour of the B.gardens! I really enjoy it.
