Aloe

Aloe

Of all the plants blooming in San Diego last month the Aloes were one of the most stunning. Their spear like flowers came in a variety of colors (mostly red, yellow and orange) and shapes. I have seen Aloes blooming in Florida before but not on the scale that Southern California has them.

Now I have read that there are 250 species of Aloe and also there are 400 species! Not sure which is the most accurate but I know the plant nomenclature changes so maybe that is what happened. Lets just say a large group of species. They are mostly native to Southern Africa although have now spread throughout the world. The leaves are tender but the roots can tolerate frosts but not freezing.


I took a lot of pictures of various Aloes. Most were not identified by species but will be popping up here and there on this blog.


Today Karen and I are going to the New York Orchid show. We have to get ready to leave because it is best to get there early.

I am looking forward to clicking around and seeing other flowers from around the world: Today’s Flowers . It starts at 18:00 GMT on Sunday.

Barrett Junction, California

Barrett Junction, California

This is an interesting area to the east of San Diego. The Barrett Junction Café has been around a long time. Check out this link for more information. I first became acquainted with the area in 1986 when I planted a large grove of Eucalyptus and Citrus trees on a ranch. It is a nice ride on CA 94 out through the mountains past Dulzura.

We did find a flower to take a picture of in the little Cactus garden outside the café. This yellow Aloe was blooming with several spikes. Of course we had to have the famous Fish Fry while at the café and here are some other snapshots from the area.

The mountains are impressive and were just starting to green up. There had been some terrible wildfires recently (2007) and nature was starting to come back. Some of the longer vistas look right into Mexico. Here are some pictures from the 2007 Harris fire.


These life sized figures were a little creepy. I wonder if Elvis is angry that Marilyn is always in the spotlight. The last picture was in the hall on the way to the bathrooms. I tried for a little soft focus like you would be seeing after a few Tequizas. Normally I wouldn’t post these snapshots but thought that seeing a few other than flower pictures might be fun. A friend of a friend was asking me what type of pictures I like to take and the answer was “just about anything but mainly flowers.”



Here is link to the café website:
Barrett Junction Cafe

Flowering Pear Tree

Flowering Pear
Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford'
(PY-russ) (kal-lee-ree-AH-nuh)
Synonyms: Callery Pear

I was surprised to see Bradford Pear so widely planted in San Diego. There is a multitude of reasons for not planting these trees and they don’t seem as popular here in Connecticut anymore. Let’s look at the Pros and Cons of this species:

Pros
Really beautiful when in flower
Can grow in most conditions
Late and Persistent Fall Color
Can be pruned to shape
Fast growing
Early Blooming

Cons
Very weak wooded and the angles of the branches make it prone to splitting in snow and ice
Short life span (25-35 years)
Inedible fruit and the flowers smell bad
Often seeds in some areas. The seedling tree is not as nice.

We don’t use Bradford Pears too often anymore although I do love them when they are flowering (from a distance). They should be blooming here in a month or so. The fall color can be amazing as it becomes multi-colored with yellow, orange and red. Sometimes the foliage is frosted off the tree green, like last year. The early flowers can be susceptible to late spring frosts.

Since the Bradford flower picture has a little blue sky showing through I thought I would do Skywatch Friday. These other pictures are from the San Jacinto Mountains in Southern California. These shots were taken overlooking the city of Palm Desert. It was quite a dramatic road to get to the vista point and as a passenger I got a little weak at a few of the huge drop offs that didn’t even have a guardrail.

That is a road with a car on it in the lower left hand corner!


For more skies from around the world go to
Skywatch Friday Home Page

Butterfly

Butterfly

We finally made it home from San Diego on Tuesday night. The whole trip was quite an adventure but it is nice to be back in Connecticut. Although there is a lot of snow and the temperatures are not too nice (5 deg. F this morning) the sun has been shining and you can tell it is a spring sun since it is nice and strong and getting a little higher in the sky. Work is going to have to wait awhile until the snow goes away (a little over 12 inches on the ground now).

It will be nice to get back to our normal routines. Ruby and Juno were such troopers during the whole affair but I think that they are enjoying being back also. This weekend I want to have some observations on San Diego and post some snapshots of some of the various things we saw.

There are a lot of things to catch up on including a huge stack of mail and over 150 email messages but I am looking forward to getting back to posting here every day.

Fiber Optic Flowers

Fiber Optic Flowers
Wordless Wednesday

Orange Poppy

Orange Poppy
Nikon D700 with 105mm Micro-Nikkor VR/2.8
Wordless Wednesday

Cry Baby Tree

Common Coral Tree
Erythrina lysistemon
(er-ith-RY-nuh)
Synonyms: Cry Baby Tree, Lucky Bean Tree

Heavenly Bamboo
Nandina domestica
(nan-DEE-nuh)

These pictures were taken with my VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens. So far I like it although Karen has been hogging it for her D80. The first tree is really beautiful. It started to bloom when we first arrived n San Diego and by the time we left it was in really in full bloom. The color of the flowers was amazing to me.

The Heavenly Bamboo had a lot of berries or really nice ‘fall’ color wherever we saw it. I guess some people consider this plant invasive but that isn’t true in Connecticut. It barely lives in Zone 6 and often finishes up the year a little tattered. I don't think it is considered a true bamboo.

We made it to Little Rock in a snowstorm (probably considered a lot for around here) and a lot of wind. You had to keep both hands on the wheel! We have decided to slow pedal home since 10 inches of snow and a lot of wind (see a theme for this trip?) are expected in Connecticut Monday.

Dinner Plate Fig

Dinner Plate Fig
Ficus dammaropsis
(FY-kus)
Synonyms: Highland Breadfruit


The foliage on this New Guinea native is spectacular and this is just a small shot of one leaf. The leaves can get up to 3 feet long and 2 feet wide. This Fig is considered rare in Southern California. It was growing at Quail Botanical Garden in Encinitas, California.


The next picture is an Orchid from Balboa Park. I am not sure of the name but I thought the color was unusual. We have made it to Amarillo, Texas and are off to Little Rock today. We have been using some back roads like CA-79 to get over to Palm Springs the back way. It was quite a nice ride through Temecula and Palm Desert. We also rode on Route 66 in Gallup, New Mexico.

Two Wildflowers

Two Wildflowers

The first picture is some sort of Hypericum that was growing as a kind of a rangy large shrub. It was nice to see the yellow flowers against the blue green foliage. The second flower is from Torrey Pines State Reserve and was blooming on the side of a cliff. Not sure why the rest of the photo come out almost monochrome but it works well to show off the flower color, which was intense.


We are leaving San Diego today for the drive to Connecticut. That month sure went fast. I hope to make it home by Monday night. The forecast for CT is cold so we probably won’t be rushing. I think both of us are looking forward to going home, even though our time here has been wonderful.

I will try and update this site as we go as there are still a lot of flowers and plants that I photographed here that I want to talk about.

Florist's Cineraria

Florist's Cineraria
Pericallis cruenta
(per-ee-KAL-liss) (kroo-EN-tuh)
Synonyms: Senecio cruentus, Cineraria cruentis
Wordless Wednesday

Gerber Daisies

Gerber Daisies
Gerbera jamesonii
Synonyms: Transvaal daisy, Barberton daisy

Sunny Felix African Daisy

African Daisy
Osteospermum 'Sunny Felix'
(oss-tee-oh-SPUR-mum)
Synonyms: Cape Daisy, Freeway Daisy


The Osteospermum are really starting to come out and making a colorful patchwork of color alongside the roads and in gardens. This is one of the few named ones that I have seen. It was introduced in 2005 by Proven Winners. The patent stated this about ‘Sunny Felix’:

“A new distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant named ‘Sunny Felix’, characterized by its white ray florets with a small, but distinct violet-blue spot, violet-blue to gray-purple disc florets, dark green foliage, long ray florets measuring about 37 mm in length, and more leaves and shorter petioles than the typical Osteospermum variety.”
Patents online, #17419

There have been a couple of other posts about this flower on this site. I like them a lot but they need to make a more heat resistant plant.

I just wanted to say thanks to all the people that have been reading this blog and to those that have been leaving comments. You really keep me going and keep me striving to take good pictures. This site continues to be an adventure and learning experience for me.

Snowball Orchid

Snowball Orchid
Neobenthamia gracilis
(nee-oh-ben-THAM-ee-ah)

On Friday I went to the San Diego Zoo to see the Orchid Greenhouse. The collection is only open to the public on the third Friday of every month. The collection is only species of Orchids and most were not in flower right now but there were some interesting that were blooming.

This delicate Orchid, with almost grassy foliage, is a native of southern Africa. There is only one species in the genus. It had a vague fragrance. Here is another Orchid from the zoo’s collection (didn’t get the name).


Baja Fairy Duster
Calliandra californica
(kal-ee-AN-druh) (kal-ih-FOR-nik-uh)
Synonyms: Red Fairy Duster, Flame Bush, Tabardillo


You can see from the species name that this is a California native. It is a cute little plant with a nice flower color. I couldn’t get a direct picture of the flower since the color kept blowing out. The foliage is interesting as it is twisted and very small but detailed. It doesn’t need much water which is a bonus in this climate.
More Info on Baja Fairy Duster from Living Desert.org

This is a red Geranium that I saw at Quail Botanical Gardens. The plant wasn’t tagged so I am not sure about the name. The flower shape is what caught my eye.


For more flowers from around the world check out
Today’s Flowers Home Page

Two Ranunculus

Ranunculus
Ranunculus asiaticus
(ra-NUN-ku-lus) (a-see-AT-ee-kus)
Synonyms: Turban Buttercup, Persian Crowfoot, Persian Buttercup

Quick post as we are headed up to Rancho Cucamonga to visit Karen’s uncle and some cousins. It is about a 2-hour drive from Pacific Beach.


Ranunculus has been blooming nicely in this area. The purple one was a new color for me and the shaded one was also attractive. We can grow these in Connecticut but only as a spring flower, they don’t seem to like the heat. I was reading an article that said all Ranunculus are poisonous and they can cause severe blistering of the mouth and a lot of gastrointestinal problems. They can also cause contact dermatitis in people. When dried the poison deteriorates enough to be safely eaten by livestock.

For being that bad on the poison front they sure a beautiful flower and I wish we were going to be here to see Flower Fields in Carlsbad . Maybe next time.

Mount Soledad Cross La Jolla, California

Mount Soledad Cross La Jolla, California
Skywatch Friday

The San Diego area has been presenting a lot of skywatch opportunities. This first shot is the Latin Cross in Mount Soledad Park. Here is a link to more information on it:
Mount Soledad

The picture was shot in Black and White (monochrome setting) with the D700 and the 50mm/1.8 Nikon lens.

The second picture is from Tourmaline Surfing Park, which is ‘our’ beach. It is about a 3-minute walk to the sand from the house. It has been fun and a little weird to be mixing with the surfer crowd. The beach is beautiful and we have been taking the dogs down every couple of days to enjoy the sunset.


The third picture is a Prickly Pear Cactus that was growing at Torrey Pines State Reserve in La Jolla. There will be another post on Torrey Pines. The trees are the rarest Pines in North America. I shot it with Skywatch in mind. It was rare to see that many clouds!


For other skies from around the world check out
Skywatch Friday

Yellow Wonga Wonga Vine

Yellow Wonga Wonga Vine
Pandorea pandorana
(pan-DOH-ree-uh) (pan-DOR-an-uh)


This is another of the flowers that I have been photographing without knowing what it was. The botanical diversity here continues to amaze me. I found this flower by googling ‘yellow vine with red markings’ and the San Marcos Grower link was it. There is a lot of information on this link to san marcos growers.com.

Yesterday we drove up to Julian and they had some snow. It was quite dramatic driving back to San Diego and the 70 degree temperature.

Chinese Garden Bridge

Chinese Garden
Wordless Wednesday

Snowy Egret

Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
Wordless Wednesday


Reflection at Balboa Park

Blanket Flower

Blanket Flower
Gaillardia aristata 'Sunburst Tangerine'
(gay-LAR-dee-uh) (a-ris-TAH-tuh)
Synonyms: Indian Blanket, Brown Eyed Susan, ‘Granoran'

We are really having a storm in San Diego today. I don’t think this day will make the travel brochure. The wind is really strong and up to an inch of rain is expected. It’s okay since we have been doing things every day, a break maybe be good. On Friday we took a drive out to El Cajon and visited Summer’s Past Farms in Flinn Springs. The garden was quite nice especially for this time of year. They have a nice store and nursery.


This Blanket Flower was spotted in the nursery and its clear yellow color looked good. In the past Gaillardia hasn’t really been a perennial for me and has only lasted a couple of years at most. I will be interested to see if the ‘Oranges and Lemons’ we planted last year comes back. Even if it doesn't I still continue to use it as an annual. I have planted Blanket Flower in several types of soils and conditions. It seems to like the leaner, drier types of soil. It definitely benefits from deadheading.

This is a new cultivar and it stays compact. I was surprised at all the cultivars and species available to gardeners now. Our local nurseries haven’t been carrying as many choices.

They had a nice collection of Lavender at the farm.

Blue Bush

Blue Bush
Eucalyptus macrocarpa
(yoo-kuh-LIP-tus) (ma-kro-KAR-pa)
Synonyms: Mottlecah, Desert Mallee
Today’s Flowers

This plant was a highlight in a day full of botanical magic yesterday. I drove up to the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. Of all the gardens I have visited this one was one of the most stunning. On hindsight visiting on Valentine’s Day wasn’t the best idea since the garden was crowded with couples. Lucky I arrived early and had a couple of hours before the crowds started. The garden was unbelievable in many ways and the Desert and the Palm gardens were my favorite.

Blue Bush Foliage

This Blue Bush was growing in the Australian garden, which had a large collection of plants from down under. The bright gray foliage and the red flowers caught my attention right away. From looking the plant up it is a long-lived perennial that grows to 12 feet tall and produces a decorative nut (I didn’t see any on the two specimens at the garden). It is hardy to USDA Zone 9 and has low water requirements once established. They can suffer from sooty mold and the plants at Huntington were suffering a bit from that.

The Camellia Festival was going on at the garden. Their collection was amazing and some were 30 to 40 feet tall and covered with blooms. The Magnolia, Cherry trees and Azaleas were also blooming. One of the most fascinating things to me was there were a lot of plants that grow back east and all of the tropical stuff, too.

Saucer Magnolia

Here is a picture of the Cactus Collection; did I say it was amazing? It was. The paths kept circling around with more and more varieties and types to be seen.


I will be posting more Huntington pictures during the week. The camera seemed to be working well. I mostly used the D700 with the 60mm lens.

For more flower pictures from around the world visit
Today’s Flowers . It opens at 6pm GMT.