We couldn’t miss out on the SF Botanical Garden when we were back in town for a visit. I think the Puya alpestris pictured above is blooming right now, so you should go check it out. Check out our blog about the Puya insanity at SFBG last year.
Zoe & the Kniphofias
Zoe loves traveling around in the Ergo. It’s pretty amazing to be able to nurse and walk around looking at plants without anything hanging out.
Love the hanging baskets of Dudleya and Lewisia at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. I want it hanging in my backyard. SBBG has one of the best collections of Dudleya around. I want them all.
Dudleya vicida
Dudleya ‘White Sprite’
Dudleyafest
Dudleya anomala
Hurray for Dudleyas! Get more Dudleya action from our last trip to SBBG here.
I keep finding good pics from our trip back to Wisconsin last May. We hit up almost all of our favorite plant places including The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden (it’s all California natives and all awesome). It was foggy when we visited, so the poppies weren’t open. I think that purple-blue plant is Penstemon heterophyllus, but I’m not 100% sure.
Just for fun I’ve been checking out Ceanothus varities online, since I want to plant one when we move back. I think ‘Kurt Zadnik’ might be the one. I like this description from Yerba Buena Nursery,“The same species as ‘Carmel Creeper’, this selection differs in having a slightly smaller leaf, brilliant midnight purple flowers, and in that it has not been planted over thousands of acres of the state. ”
Mimulus and more!
Even more Mimulus
Pretty sure this looker is ‘Pamela’ but not 100%. I’ve been starting a list of CA native plants we’re going to need in my head.
Agave shawii
Another cute little reasonably sized agave I’ve always liked.
Phacelia sp.
Hot, hot Heuchera ‘Canyon Delight’
That’s it for now, but did you notice I didn’t include our all time favorite CA native succulent that starts with D? It’s coming soon.
Yesterday, Zoe and I took a trip to Olbrich Gardens to check out the spring show: Wisconsin Woodlands It’s very flowery unlike the cold, snowy outdoors and goes until March 24th. The Chenille Tree (Acalypha hispida) in the conservatory is still going crazy:
Last Sunday we roadtripped over to Milwaukee to check out the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (The Domes) for some horticultural excitement. I hadn’t been in years, but remember not being impressed the last time I was there. Built in the mid 60′s, The Domes were recently upgraded with new lighting and tons of great plants. Read all about it in a recent WSJ article. They did a great job! I think it may be only conservatory I’ve been to that offers alcoholic beverages at all times. There are was a little cooler full of beers and single serve white wine for $4.00 a piece. Welcome to Wisconsin!
Ceiba pentandra
I’m not 100% sure that this is Ceiba pentandra… I was lazy and didn’t take pics of plant tags. Then I spent twenty minutes googling around to figure out what type of Ceiba I took a pic of.
Phoenix palm
Thanks to Jason the main man of The Palm Broker at Flora Grubb for helping me out in the ID department for these two.
Ravenala madagascariensis
A ginormous relative to the bird-of-paradise, Ravenala madagascariensis has freaky blue seeds with edible appendages.
Happy Tropical Land
Amorphophallus titanum
They have a big Amorphophallus titanum (corpse flower) hanging out next to a bunch of ephiphytes.
Zoe & the staghorn fern
The Domes are definitely worth a visit. Zoe slept the entire time we were there. You can check out all our pics on flickr.
