17 October 2012

Adelaide Botanical Gardens (South Australia)




Today Glenn and I visited the Botanical Gardens... unplanned and very enjoyable.

99 comments:

  1. Unreal...almost out of a spooky movie lol

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  2. Reminds me of the Montreal botanical gardens... so colourful and full of life!

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  3. Never seen this one... amazing!!!

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  4. Bigger pads = Boat? lol

    beautiful!!

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  5. Unplanned is usually the best! Thanks for sharing your day xo

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  6. My, what wild root systems...a child could almost get lost in one of those...

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  7. I'm still struck by how big they are. Not as tall as Sequoia, but the roots...my goodness what roots.

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  8. Interesting textures...I guess this is one of those trees with the large roots that has "gone extinct" as Monty Python might put it.

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  9. Lovely lavenders! At least that is how they look on my screen.

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  10. Strange. The tree seems to have more personality the more distant it seems.

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  11. Curious cone-shaped tufts of blossoms. Do you happen to know what they are?

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  12. Me either, that I recall. What are they? I think they are lovely, but what strikes me most is the arrangement of the blossoms. I presume that is natural - that the plant has not been intentionally "shaped" somehow.

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  13. Aah, one of my favorite plants, in the first place just because I think they're beautiful in their own right, but also because they remind me of Hawaii; they are all over the place in Hawaii and I love going to Hawaii.

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  14. I was going to ask what kind of birds those were in the previous shot, but I think they must have been ducks.

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  15. Is that a water fountain that looks like a mushroom?

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  16. I love water lilies. Such a nice contrast between the white & gold of the blossom, the green of the pads, all against the darker background and partial reflections. Great photo!

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  17. I've seen those larger pads, but not often. Do they ever bloom?

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  18. I was going to ask why everything seems to be blooming...but then I remembered...you are about to leap into Spring.

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  19. I guess the plant forms are just different enough for me that this view gives me the impression of a scene from something pre-historic...like a Jurassic or Cretaceous landscape. Any moment now a T-rex will pop out of the bushes.

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  20. These are even stranger to me, but I suppose they are perfectly ordinary for you.

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  21. Do you actually need a green house or hot house in Adelaide? Look nice, though.

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  22. Ooo, that reminds me of Silver Swords...they only grow in Maui, though, so I doubt this is one of those.

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  23. Nicely framed. Very graceful looking palm fronds.

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  24. Looks like it was a fun day at the Botanical Gardens.

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  25. Always such beautiful outings, visiting gardens, taking happy snaps and being surrounded by such heavenly things...

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  26. Sensational plants, what are they?

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  27. Good ole Strelitzia, or Bird of Paradise, amazing. Friends of mine, when they were living in Sydney, had a huge patch of them.

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  28. Ah, black boys, my sis put one in her new front garden (notice I didn't say yard). She lives in the Newcastle NSW area.

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  29. Really some fantastically unusual plants.

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  30. So, those busy-looking short shrubs are called 'black boys'? Or is it something else?

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  31. ooooooh.... movie title.... ''mimers n' angelina in the gardens''..... sa sa sa poooooky....

    but i'd get some popcorn and watch!!!!!

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  32. woosh n' lush.... liking it lots...

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  33. they're tied together?!?!?!?!?! yes?

    if so, crazyass beautiful!!!!!!

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  34. ahm a ahm a ahm a maaaaazing....

    superb pic....

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  35. Hi all .. .thanks for all your comments and questions. I have not been home very long so I cant stay here in Multiply.. BUT I will try to catch up on answering your questions as soon as I get a chance .. cheers!

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  36. This is the Amazon Water Lilly.

    In the wild, this unique flower grows in the backwaters of the Amazon. Its flowers can grow up to 40cm, and its lily pads up to two metres in diameter. Leaf size is influenced by the depth of water as this determines the length of the leaf stalks.

    Some Curious Facts:

    From the Amazon water lily root is extracted a dye that Amazon indigenous peoples use to dye their hair black.
    Its flower is depicted in the Guyanese coat of arms.



    some interesting reading :
    http://taxusbaccata.hubpages.com/hub/Amazon-Water-Lily#

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  37. Gorgeous pure white blooms which turn pink ( I understand)... see my comment below for a link if your interested to learn more about these Amazon Water Lillies.

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  38. The Palm House

    The Palm House is an exquisite, painstakingly restored Victorian glasshouse imported from Bremen, Germany in 1875. It is thought to be the only one of its kind still in existence.

    The Palm House was designed by German architect Gustav Runge and the sophisticated engineering techniques used in its construction make it a benchmark in glasshouse design. The hanging glass walls are similar to those used in today's city buildings and were very advanced for the time. This sophistication, and Adelaide's dry climate, probably account for the building's survival.

    In 1986, corrosion of iron glazing bars made the Palm House unsafe for public use and it was closed. A conservation study carried out in early 1991 recommended full restoration and after a successful public appeal, and a donation from the federal government, this was carried out.

    The Palm House now features a wonderful collection of plants from the island of Madagascar. The plants require warm and dry growing conditions which also aids in the conservation of the building.

    About 150 million years ago, Madagascar and Australia were both part of the supercontinent, Gondwana. Its flora was the ancient ancestors of today's modern native plants. Many of the plants featured in the Palm House are at risk, or endangered, in their natural habitat.

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  39. Adelaide's climate is not tropical .. its rather moderate actually ( although during the months of Dec through to March it can have very hot weather over 40Degrees Celcius.

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  40. This is a gorgeous palm, indeed. It is in the centre of the Palm House, Victorian Glass House.

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  41. This was inside the Palm House.. the whole Glass House is lined with this flower box... it was simply gorgeous.

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  42. Shrublike, spires of violet blue flowers, short gray green sword shaped leaf. Hardy Cottage Garden Plant. I love these.. but unfortunately have had to remove the ones I had planted in my garden.

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  43. I'll have to google them Bob.. never been to Maui

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  44. I especially liked this area of the garden .. because of the colour. Not lavender, the white are daisies but Im not sure what the smaller pink flowers are

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  45. I didnt remember what these were called Bob.. But I did know that they are a succulent... so..finally found out more for you

    For a long time, this plant has been considered like a cultivar of A. arboreum, that originated in Holland. It now seems that it comes from the Canary island, that it then cannot be a cultivar of A. arboreum, since A. arboreum doesn't originate from the Canaries. The latest theory is that it is a cultivar from A. manriqueorum.
    The name 'Manriqueorum' honors the antique 'Manrique de Lara' family from Spain.

    I love the folage...

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  46. This is interesting

    When the stem becomes to tall, just cut the top rosette with a piece of stem and plants it. It will soon take root, while the plant left with just the stem will soon grow new buds that can be in turn used for propagation.

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  47. thanks for that Bob...

    I too love water lillies. There was an outside pond of what I believed were Lotus plants that had died back.. would have loved to have seen them in bloom too

    If we didnt have such a problem with snakes in the area where I reside, Id would have an outside pond with Water Lillies.

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  48. YES it is Spring time and everything is starting to flower again... its a gorgeous time of the year

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  49. Im very envious of your Sis. lol

    I have wanted to plant these in my garden for a number of years... but they prefer a well drained sandy soil, which I dont have in my garden.

    They grow like weeds in the forrests and surrounding scrub but to purchase a small plant in the nursery will set you back over $250.00 and upward.

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  50. Bob, these plants are Yucca plants (Australian slang.. Black Boys).. they are gorgeous!

    Their leaves are more like long thin, extremely sharp prongs. .. they can grow into quite tall bushes.

    I have been trying to locate a good picture of one to show you but Ive not been very successful.. I'll keep searching

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  51. thats so true Michele.. When I think back to many of the things.. more often than not the unplanned seem to be the most enjoyable

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  52. The are gorgeous aren't they Bob!!? I stood and admired them... I had thought to check and see if I could find a name for them on our way back to the car ( car was parked opposit them)... but by the time I got back to the car I was so sore footed from new shoes I couldnt walk the extra few metres...

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  53. well.... actually.....I photographed the plaque...


    Eucalyptus Camaldulensis
    (River Red Gum)

    This river red gum most likely lived between 1,500 and 2,000 years ago. It was around 500 years old when it died.

    It was recovered by Forestry SA from Mount Crawford and was probably part of an ancient Red Gum forest in the area.

    The log wieghs 15 tonnes, is 13 metres long, 1.5 metres in diameter.

    state Herbarium scientists think the structure of the tree rings ( a science called dendrochronology) can help us find out more about the local climate in the area when this tree was alive.

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  54. Did not see or hear any frongs...

    this would be simply stunning when the lillies are in bloom.

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  55. One of my favourite flowers also.. I did have one in the garden ( a gift from a friend) but it never grew... eventually it died.

    Im thinking I may try my luck with it in the garden one last time. Mum planted one last year and hers has grown quite well.

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  56. Yes Ducks.. They allowed me to walk very close to them but wouldnt pose to have me take their picture lol

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  57. Nope.. its just a structure. Not a fountain. I thought it was cute.

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  58. It was lovely.. and the strip along the centre is a water feature.. the trickling water sounded great

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  59. Hi Dave(id).. I think you saw these as trees?

    Its actually a miniature rotunda like structure.. bricks and iron work

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  60. Im not familiar with these trees Bob .. .My feet were pretty sore (Id worn new shoes because they were flatter than the shoes I had initially put on in the morning) . mistake! so I did not look at many of the name plaques ( not that I would have recalled the names if I had)

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  61. It really was Sheree... added a picture below for a better view for you

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  62. nice , my leaves are starting to fall here and the fog is around in the morning

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  63. They are really interesting looking plants. I'm sure people who CAN get plants to grow could do that with cuttings. I'm not very good at getting anything to grow.

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  64. I am not sure, but I think it is a Ficus tree, which, if I read the wiki article correctly, is a type of Banyan.

    That kinda makes sense; the Banyan trees I've seen in Hawaii have large root systems that form by dropping feelers down from the branches. You can have a city block's worth of Banyan trees that are all the same tree than has spread like a gigantic spider plant. The ficus doesn't seem to be doing that, but the large roots do look like the Banyan feelers.

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  65. This tree died 500 years ago? That's in pretty good shape considering its been "in the grave" for over 5 centuries.

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  66. On my screen they look lavender, but they are very pretty whatever color.

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  67. Not to mention fragrant. Soon it will be in bloom, no? Maybe by the next time you go to Adelaide?

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  68. I wish you best of luck with it. On the Road to Hana tour, the guide had us stopping for lunch at a small place with a huge garden of tropical flowers including a massive (to my mind) number of of Birds of Paradise. They were stunning.

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  69. I was going to say it reminded me of a golf course...it doesn't really, but it does have me thinking, "Fore!" lol

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  70. It is. It just seems like it ought to do something.

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  71. How cute! I just thought it was a design.

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  72. There are places in Australia that DON'T have problems with snakes?! lol

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  73. They are lovely. And they do remind me of hunters camouflaged with leaves creeping up on prey. Maybe that is why they are called Black Boys? I guess that isn't very PC of me, but I mean no slur by it.

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  74. All right, I was on the right track. They are called Blackboys because, when they flower, they develop a long stem that reminds people of an aboriginal boy holding a spear.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthorrhoea

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  75. It is an amazing building. You get a much better appreciation with the second shot - not that there is anything wrong with the first one. Glad they were able to restore it, too. They must be watering the lawns then to have the grass so green.

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  76. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haleakal%C4%81_Silversword

    The only place in the world I know Silver Swords grow is on top of the extinct volcano, Haleakala, on the island of Maui.

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  77. This palm tree is an endangered species, then? It's a magnificent looking tree.

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  78. It has taken me all day to make sure that I had the correct name but FINALLY I have it.

    these magnificent trees are Moreton Bay Fig Trees (Ficus macrophylla)

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  79. Its taken me a while.. but I wanted to make sure I was correct before naming these trees .. they are Moreton Bay Fig Trees (Ficus macrophylla)

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  80. YES .. thanks Bob, I can see the resemblance.. .

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  81. thats more than I can tell you Bob.. I know that many of the plants in the Palm house are endangered though.

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  82. Yes there will be blooms before too long Bob, but we will not be back to Adelaide for at least 6 months now. Least we dont plan to be.

    This is a gorgeous short time lapse film of blooming plants you all may enjoy


    http://vimeo.com/29471008

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  83. hahah.. there are many people in Australia who are not as paranoid of snakes as I am.

    I live in a location where I do have to be mindful of snakes but Im sure there are many places in Australia that dont see many snakes...

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  84. You found a great picture of the black boys.. I tried last night but couldnt find anything worthy of leaving here for you to get a good idea of what the plant looked like. Thanks!

    I dont think any one would take offense at your discription Bob. I always thought that they were nick named "black boys" because of the similarity to a spear.. but I wasnt sure.

    I found this particularly interesting from the link you left...



    "Traditional Aboriginal uses

    Xanthorrhoea is important to the Aboriginal people who live where it grows. The flowering spike makes the perfect fishing spear. It is also soaked in water and the nectar from the flowers gives a sweet tasting drink. In the bush the flowers are used as a compass. This is because flowers on the warmer, sunnier side of the spike (usually the north facing side) often open before the flowers on the cooler side facing away from the sun.

    The resin from Xanthorrhoea plants is used in spear-making[4] and is an invaluable adhesive for Aboriginal people, often used to patch up leaky coolamons (water-containers) and even yidaki (didgeridoos)."

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