We've come to see the January Protaceae show, but first a short stop in California.
Despite recent rains, California still seems quite parched.
The fescues are greening up.
Salvia spathacea.
Penstemon.
A huge Artemisia behind this low wall.
We like the simple wall.
Another Eriogonum arborescens, with dead inflorescences I'm ready to snap off, but don't.
Ribes malvaceum. Why isn't mine flowering like this? Argh!
Hummingbird magnet.
A pan on a cairn with some flowers. Simple, perfect.
This botanical garden isn't like the others I frequent. There are no real garden beds, and you can walk right up to every plant and look it over quite thoroughly. There are some nice plant combinations (coming up!) but there is no landscape design here which might be in or out of style at some point down the road. It's nice.
That's it for California.
The world has five mediterranean climate zones: the Mediterranenan, California, South Africa, south and west Australia, and Chile. South African landscapes like the one below are so distinct you can identify them at a distance with a quick glance.
The bud.
The dead head.
The thing about Protea sp., is that on older specimens, it's not uncommon for the trunk to split at the crown.
Then the both halves are toast.
This happens at Strybing too.
And now, moving in to Australia, Banksia.
Hummingbirds love these.
The fruit are crazy.
The fruit is a cone-like woody capsule that opens with heat. You can hold the "cone" over an open flame and these little mouths will open slowly and release the seed.
Banksia are shrubs, or 30-foot trees.
This picture is dark, but you can imagine having a tree full of the crazy cones.
I like the wood too.
Soft and fuzzy.
Grevillea.
The garden guru spies something in the rocks...
For you succulent lovers:
The fragrance garden abuts the cactus garden, and I think that's cool. A scented geranium (Pelargonium) in the foreground.
The sculpture is named Stack O' Seeds, by Doug Hennig.
I need to wrap up. Why not end with a sight more familiar to most readers...
14 comments:
So enjoyable to tour with you. Those are plants we would never see here in TN, in public or private gardens, that I know of anyway. Love the mouths that open to spill the seed. Thanks for the post.
The protea flowers are other worldly and the plant actually will make a handsome shrub for the garden, but what really caught my eye was the grass like plant with the eight foot tall half black spikes just below the succulent greenhouse pics. I could use that shape for behind my split rail fence up by the road.
Yeah, Christopher--I like that one too! I took several pictures I didn't include because the post was so large, but I knew I had to include that one. It's called Xanthorrhoea preisii. Family name Xanthorrhoeaceae. I haven't looked it up yet.
Loved the tour Chuck b. Those cacti and succulents are so interesting. I think I like them becasue they just aren't around my little corner of the world. The proeta either for that matter. They look artificial they are so other worldly. How cool to see a snake sunning itself on the rocks. I wonder what kind it is??
P.S. The banksia look like someone has clued clams onto the bloom of some flower. Funny little fellows. The fuzzy thing is reallllly interesting too.
Hey there, Chuck :-)
Wow, wow and wow!!
What a fantastic tour - my jaw dropped! Great photos too. Coming from Scotland I so love to see the garden tours from the US where I can see them without feeling your hot temps - I wilt in the heat!
Fantastic! I came over to see your GBBD post and I have been struck by this one - I must link to it in the future :-D
You mean there were actually a few pictures you didn't include here, Chuck? ;-)
Nice garden tour. The last few images of agaves remind me of home. If you come to the Garden Bloggers Spring Fling you'll see the James David garden that is heavy on plants from those Mediterranean regions you mentioned.
The cones look just like little clams. Or mouthes. I can sort of imagine them starting to sing en masse.
Shirl, It doesn't get hot in Scotland? I'm surprised to hear that. Santa Cruz is right on the ocean. Sometimes the summers are warm, but it's never too bad.
Pam, I do wish I could attend Spring Fling...it sounds like a total blast. Unfortunately, the next few months are jam packed for me. Sigh. I'll be reading every blogged word on the subject when it transpires.
Now I'm Jonesing for a trip to the Santa Cruz Arboretum. Thanks for the tour. Loved the pics. They have such cool plants there that you almost forget the ocean view!
It's true, Angela--I didn't even notice the ocean.
Wow...I LOVE this post but my bogus dialup won't let me see all the pics! :( I really like that birdbath mounted on the rocks and planting...I think it would look smashing at Outside Clyde (and MY house, for that matter!)...beautiful simplicity. And that xanthorrhoea....wow.
They've recently added some info on Xanthorrhoea to the pbs wiki. Crazy family.
Chuck, did you see the Protea with Leucadendron leaves?
Chuck: You have some great shots there! I saw those very flowers at the Boston Flower Market last week! Right down to the 'feathers' on the protea! Thank you for taking us all on this trip!
Chuck, I wanted to let you know that the Chiltern seed order arrived today, January 23, having been mailed from them no earlier than January 15. That is faster than a lot of US companies!
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