Norfolk Botanical Garden

Japanese Garden

Bonsai specimen in the Japanese garden

We fell in love with Botanical Gardens after visiting the one in Brooklyn while visiting our daughter Melissa one Spring many years ago.  

There is something wonderful about wandering among the plants and trees moving along paths between planned spaces.

We have found Botanical Gardens in many cities that we have visited and Norfolk's is among the most beautiful.

We crossed 3 bridges on our garden walk, each one draped with flowers

Rose garden specimen

Rose garden

The Norfolk Botanical Garden has been around since 1938 when a WPA grant and a donation of 150 acres of land from the city coincided to build an azalea garden.  200 African American women were assigned the project and working with only hand tools cleared enough land for 10,000 flowers and shrubs to be planted.

Today the Norfolk Botanical Garden encompasses 175 acres and 52 themed gardens. They are connected by roads and walking paths. 

We visited on an overcast day with threats of showers but it didn't dampen our enthusiasm for wandering among the plants.

I particularly enjoyed the Japanese garden with its tables of ornamental Bonsai trees and a quiet pond that hosted turtles and dragonflies. The azaleas and rhododendron were long past their blooming phase but the roses were lovely.

View from the NATO Overlook

Eagle statue NATO overlook

Fred's favorite display was the NATO Vista. The NATO overlook is a covered tower at the center of the garden. Built on a high point in the landscape it allows a birds eye view of much of the garden spaces.

You would have to return a number of times and in all seasons to see the everything that Norfolk Botanical Garden has to offer. We were happy to be able to walk about 75% of it before the weather changed for the worse.

We had a lovely walk and got back to the truck before the skies opened. All in all a great way to spend the afternoon.

Norfolk Botanical Garden

6700 Azalea Garden Rd

Norfolk, VA

23518

(757) 441-5830

norfolkbotanicalgarden.org

South Texas Botanical Garden Corpus Christi Texas

We thoroughly enjoyed the Orchid Conservatory 

Corpus Christi is home to a hidden gem. The South Texas Botanical Garden is located in a mostly residential neighborhood. It's 180 acres is surrounded by housing developments and a large ranch right off of South Staples Street. It includes natural wet lands and is bordered by the Oso Creek.

Specimen from the Bromelaid Conservatory

A tour of the gardens begins at the Visitor's Center where knowledgeable volunteers showed us a site map and pointed out highlights. They encouraged to visit the reptile center at the rear of the building. The Botanical Gardens are home to 30-40 reptiles at any given time.  Snakes, Lizards and Tortoises that have been rescued from life threatening situations or donated by families who once kept them as pets have found a safe haven here.
There are also 40 Parrots and Macaws donated by the Coastal Bend Companion Bird Club that have found a home in the garden.
The smaller specimens are kept in the reptile house, The larger birds and the tortoises have protected quarters outdoors.

These sunny orange blossoms beckoned us into the gardens

We walked around the Visitor Center and passed a Koi filled pond. Beyond the pond is a Plumeria garden.  In February the trees are bare except for a few early leaves. There are more than 100 specimens of the fragrant tropical flower located here in Southern Texas.We spent some time speaking with one of the gardeners who was very enthusiastic about them. She explained that the Botanical Garden had an association with a garden in Australia that shared specimens of Plumeria. The blooms are called Frangipani there.
There are 2 large Conservatories on the grounds. They are home to a Bromelaid collection and a large number of Orchids.

A mass of epiphytes in the Bromelaid Conservatory

The Bromelaid Conservatory contains many epiphytes. I find these air plants to be so strange and otherworldly. Their ariel roots and hanging masses create such a spooky atmosphere. They hung from fences and wires and coconut fiber baskets on the walls. There were also terrestrial bromelaids with long spiky leaves and unsusual brightly colored flowers. Pot after pot of various succulents filled the shelves.

The Orchid Conservatory is amazing. So many beautiful fragile flowers in one place.We are told that they include Cattleya, Phaleonopsis, Paphiopedlum and Dendrobium genera. The orchids were part of the Don Larkin Collection, willed by him to the Botanical Garden . It is the largest public orchid display in the state of Texas.


The organization is currently seeking funding for a Tropical Rainforest Conservatory to round out it's indoor collection.
Fred finally pulled me away from the orchids and we began to wander the outdoor gardens.  We were pleasantly surprised at the variety of flowers and plants that were in bloom in early February.
There is a Tropical Garden right outside the Conservatories that is full of lush foliage and shade trees. Hibiscus are plentiful here as well as huge Elephant Ears and low growing greenery. The tropical birds are housed here and there are future plans for an aviary.  We enjoyed the garden seating area set up in the shade.

Bloom from the Hummingbird Narden

Beyond the tropicals we found a Hummingbird Garden and one dedicated to butterflies complete with a Butterfly House.  These gardens as well as an Arid garden located on the other side of the property are designed as landscape examples for local Texan gardeners. The Botanical Gardens Earth Kind Demonstration Trial Gardens are meant to help people chose the hardiest, most pest and disease-resistant plants.that are appropriate for the South Texas environment.

Butterfly Garden

The Butterfly Garden is on the edge of the wetlands. We followed an extensive trail and boardwalk system that lead us around and over the water to view birds and native water plants. There were many warning signs about native rattlesnakes. Thankfully they were in hiding during our visit.  
A stroll around the Oso Creek Trail brings you to the cactus filled Arid Garden and an area of more formal raised bed plantings that include roses, herbs and Vegetables.

Arid Garden

We stopped and sat for a while in the lovely Sensory Garden before heading back inside to thank our hosts. We enjoyed the sculptures there and in fact were delighted and impressed to see so much artwork featured in the gardens and on the trails.

Seating in the Sensory Garden made of concrete and mosaic tiles

Rose garden

If you visit Corpus Christi we highly recommend the South Texas Botanical Garden. it is an organization still in it's growing phase and utilizes community volunteers to do much of the work. It is beautiful now and will only improve with time. 

To see more photos of these lovely gardens visit our Flickr album

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South Texas Botanical Gardens
8545 South Staples 
Corpus Christi TX. 78413
(361)852-2100

http://www.stxbot.org

The Gardens contained many sculptures, this one near the wetland boardwalk

Kitchen Sprout Garden

Traveling full time in our RV is the lifestyle that we want to live right now. There are some things that I miss, like having a kitchen garden. I am not willing to travel with plants and pots of dirt. We move too frequently to make that practical.

We went to a Farmers Market in Albert, NB last weekend. I met a vendor there that makes and sells her own line of fine mesh bags in all sizes. She calls them HYP-Bags. That stands for Help Your Planet.



Hyp-Bag and Mustard seeds

They are meant to be used for storing bread and vegetables, as reusable tea bags and for growing sprouts.

We spent quite a while Chatting about the different seeds that she offered and how the simple growing process might fit into our mobile lifestyle.
I chose two bags, one full of mustard seeds and she gave me a tiny one full of broccoli seeds.

We have a ( very tiny) kitchen garden!
The process is quiet easy.
Place one teaspoon of seeds into the Hyp-Bag.

Soak the bag in water twice a day and hang it to dry.

Sprouts will be ready to eat in 5-7 days.
Tonight we are having broccoli sprouts in our dinner salads.








-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bottle Tree Garden

We found a bottle tree.

Actually we found a garden of them shining in the afternoon sun while we were driving back to Ocala from Homosassa Springs State Park.

It was one of those "turn the car around we have to take a closer look at that" moments.

The artists call it a Bottle Tree Park. When completed it will be open to the public so that family and friends can stroll among the sculptures.

We have seen bottle trees before.
We have even chuckled and poked fun at the excellent recycling of all of those wine bottles.

These blue bottles shining in the sun had us expressing ourselves differently.
No redneck lawn ornaments here. This is art.

There were bottle tree garden gates, bottle tree bicycles and framed bottle tree sculptures that reminded us of primitive paintings.

The predominant color was blue, but there were also pale green and clear bottles represented.

We also learned that bottle trees have a long and colorful history dating back to the African Congo in the 9th century A.D.

Folklore would have us believe that spirits can inhabit bottles and that once trapped inside they cannot find their way out. Empty bottles left outside the home capture spirits that are then destroyed in the daylight hours by the heat of the sun through the glass.

I'm all for getting rid of ill humors and other nasty things so a bottle tree may be in our future.

Cubby's Art Studio is home to the Bottle Tree Park.
Cubby's is a stained glass studio that also offers classes in glass fusing. When we return to this part of Florida I would love to participate in one of the Saturday fusing classes.

Cubby's Art Studio
1065 N Paul Drive
Inverness, Florida
34450
(352) 341-0003

- Bonnie, from my iPad

Location:Inverness, Florida

Farmer's market: Market of Marion

There were Hibiscus in pink, red, orange and yellow

The Market of Marion is a combination Flea Market and Farmers Market held every Friday-Sunday in Belleview, Florida. it is a short drive from Ocala.
Fred and I have been visiting it for fresh fruits and vegetables every weekend since we have been here.
The market has several nurseries that participate as vendors and this weekend I explored them all.
It was so joyful to walk among the blossoms and greenery.

I was reminded of all of the Easter flowers that I have gifted and received over the years. There were orchids in every color, beautiful hibiscus, sweet smelling gardenias as well as palms and ferns in many varieties.  I particularly liked the Bottle Brush and Mimosa trees.

Happy Easter  friends and family members these are my virtual floral gifts to you.

Pitcher plants to catch those pesky flies



Cascading purple blossoms

Shrimp plant

These scent of beautiful gardenias reminded me of Mom's Pensacola garden

These red tipped white beauty's remind me of bleeding heart

Today is our 5th and final day of black and white photographs. This picture of wildflowers was taken in May of 2013 in Robert Whele State Park in Henderson new York, on lake Ontario. It seemed appropriate to share it with today's floral post.
 I have run out of bloggers who want to be nominated to share a black and white photo each day for 5 days and to challenge another to do the same, so this is an open invitation for anyone to participate. Let us know if you decide to play so that we can check out your beautiful pix.


Wildflowers in Upstate New York