Monday, February 22, 2010

Hot and Humid - Part II

Welcome back to Part II of my recent trip to the Des Moines, Iowa Botanical Center!  As I recall from my previous post, we were heading over the footbridge toward the cactus plants.......

CACTI
Cacti are a group of plants that are easy to grow, and offer a variety of shapes, color and form. They can be grown in any sunny, well-drained area and need very little maintenance (I love low-maintenance!).
They also make excellent houseplants. Many hardy varieties can also be grown outside.


I admit, I've never been a huge fan of these prickly plants,
but have gained a new appreciation for them ....
the texture and form of these unique plants really are amazing!




Unfortunately, this was the only cactus plant I saw with a tag....
I asked an employee why some plants in the BC were not marked,
and she stated they were in the process of updating and re-marking all of their plants.



I was really suprised to learn that the 'ponytail palm'
is part of the Cactus family....
I'd hate to have to brush these ponytails!



I feel like I have the attention span of a gnat in this place as 
I gravitate toward the next plant that catches my eye.......

The leaves on this Christmas Palm are amazing!




This small, dainty bloom really stands out
against the large, dark green leaves of this plant....
Jungle Geranium (Ixora javanica)
Madder Family
Origin: India


 
I love the name of this next plant.......
unfortunately, it was not in bloom


This next picture really doesn't do this plant justice. 
The lace-edged leaves are amazing - LOVE this plant!

Lace Aralia (polyscias guilfoylei) 'Victoriae'
Aralia Family
Origin: Polynesia



Now THIS is a lily!!
It really stands out against the darker green foliage of the
Fiddle Leaf Fig and Boston Fern

White Giant Spider Lily (Crinum asiaticum)
Amaryllis Family
Origin: South Africa


Here's a nice, tranquil spot to stop and pause by..... 
The mist spraying from the waterfall feels refreshing
 in this warm, humid environment!
(at this point I am sweating profusely
and keep steaming up the camera lens)



Again, there goes my attention span as I see this fantastic beauty out of the corner of my eye.....
Giant Dioon (Dioon Spinulosum)
Cycad Family - Origin: Mexico
It is the largest of the American cycads and is known to grow
up to 50 feet high in nature.

Talk about a filler plant!!!


****************
Next Stop.....The Gardeners Show House


Here's a little preview...



Stay tuned for the final portion of the tour.....

21 comments:

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

Judy, you showed us an amazing group of cacti, thanks! I wouldn't mind to have some of them in my own garden, but they won't like it here.
Answering your question, Blotanical is an international gardening site with almost 2000 garden blogs. It's a great place to meet all type of gardeners and get involved into all sorts of discussions, exchanges, etc. Click on the green sign "Blotanical" on the bottom of my blog's 1st page. You can register and become a member. I should warn you - it will make you a Blotanical addict and you will spend much more time blogging.

RURAL said...

Tatyana is right, and you will love Blotanical. Amazing gardeners, and garden lovers, it's a wonderful collection of bloggers.

What a great blog, and welcome to blogging. Hope that you have some time set aside, it is rather addictive.

Nice to have you stop by.

Jen

Debbie's Garden said...

What an addicting place! How will you ever make yourself come home?

Hey!!!, do you REALLY have a sick Aunt out there??!!

Judy said...

Tatyana - thanks for explaining Blotanical...it sounds great!
I'm finding I'm already addicted to blogging, so I can't imagine what Blotanical will do!

Jen - thanks for visiting my blog...I'll see you on Blotanical :)

Debbie - I was in Iowa last week visiting my aunt and went over to the Botanical Center one day, so I'm sharing my experience :) It is a beautiful place; and yes, my aunt is recovering from an injury.

Judy said...

Debbie! OOPS!!! I knew you were kidding, and after replying, I realize I might have sounded too serious... :) :) :)

Dirty Girl Gardening said...

Great pics! That euphorbia is amazing!

MrBrownThumb said...

That Euphorbia is really cool.I could see growing it in one of those posts that are shaped like heads.

Anonymous said...

The cacti make some lovely photos. Thanks for visiting my blog, and I am sorry to learn of the loss of one of your cats. They surely do have a way of making us laugh, don't they? Can't wait to see your next post. Have a great day.

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

These beautiful plants are just amazing! I couldn't plant them here in the Ozarks...wouldn't be prudent! We get to dang cold down here in the frost holler of the Ponderosa. I do have an acre of flowers here and suffer from a disease I've termed OCFD (Obsessive Compulsive Flower Disorder) Heeeheehe!

Ya'll have a wonderfully blessed day from the hills and hollers of Missouri!!!!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I went back to see Part 1 of the tour. What an amazing place. I can't believe how big the Palm tree inside is.

And to answer you question about my camera, it's a Canon Powershot SX10 IS. I'm still figuring out how to use many of the settings.

Becca's Dirt said...

Hi Judy - it was so nice of you to stop off at my blog and leave such sweet comments. It is so nice to meet ya.

I love that post. Really neat looking Cacti. I'd never seen some of those.

In answer to your question - check out The Cutest Blog On The Block dot com. Choose your free backgrounds for blogspot. If you need help loading just holler.

As Jen said - blogging is very addictive. I feel like I need to go to a "blogging clinic".

Far Side of Fifty said...

Hi Judy, It is nice to meet you..That was a great tour of the Botanical garden in Des Moines..so nice to see in the winter! I noticed in your photo that you must have a Border Collie ? or a Australian Shepherd.. we have a Border Collie! I used to garden, not so much anymore, but I love wildflowers.. and what ever will grow in my wild gardens that I don't weed or water. Way to much snow here now to do anything! Thanks for stopping by, I noticed that lots of my friends have been by, Becca, Jen and Mildred and Nezzy..they are a marvelous group of gals!! :)

Judy said...

"Dirty Girl" - thanks for visiting my blog, and you are so right...the Euphorbia is amazing...

I love how Mr. Brown Thumb said the Euphorbia would look good planted in a head-shaped pot. Do you mean like a 'Chia Pet' MBT?? :) Hmmm, I'm thinking that would look like 'dredlocks' (sp??) growing out of the head!! :)

Nezzy! Welcome! What part of Missouri do you come from? My mother-in-law lives in Camdenton, just outside of Lake of the Ozarks. I'm so glad you visited my blog! I, too suffer from OCFD (at least that's what my kids tell me)...

Hi Catherine! I, too, am trying to figure out all the extra gadgets on my camera. I purchased a tutorial DVD last year. Have I watched it yet....ummmm...NO!

Hi Becca!! Thanks for the tip on free blog backgrounds. I appreciate your help. I'm very new to blogging and can already tell i'm addicted. How do you all do it? I'm finding already that I'm letting things slide....like laundry! Oh, it can wait, but my blogging can't!! Wonderful to meet you, Becca.

'Far Side of Fifty'....thank you so much for visiting my blog. Actually, the dog in the picture (Mandy) is a rescue dog we adopted several years ago. I do believe, though, that she is part Border Collie. I cannot imagine my life without my canine companions!

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I am checking on the people who left comments on my previous SkyWatch post, which was a few weeks ago. I enjoyed your photos of the botanical place. I haven't been a huge cactus fan over the years, either, but seem to have some. I like that second one you showed.

Are you having warmer temps this week like we are here in Nebraska? I am so excited that we could see 50 today! We haven't been that warm since the first week of December.

Sue Swift said...

Found you through Blotanical ... The leaves on that Christmas Palm are incredible.

Digital Flower Pictures said...

Thanks for the tour. There is a type of Prickly Pear Cactus that grows and flowers outside here in Connecticut. I guess it can get pretty cold out in the desert especially at elevation.

Thanks for the tour, the Iowa Botanical Center looks better than I would have thought.

Judy said...

Hi Sue! I appreciate your visiting and commenting on my blog, especially knowing you have a big kitchen renovation going on! :)
We are starting to experience some warmer temps here - around 50 degress lately - woo hoo!!! On my yard walk-a-bout, I'm seeing the daffodils and tulips emerging, which is always exciting to see!

"Sue Swift" - thank you for visiting my blog! I'm glad you enjoyed the Botanic Garden tour. I recently joined Blotanical and am finding it is somewhat overwhelming....so many interesting blogs to check out :) Judy

"Digital Flower Pictures"....I'm glad you enjoyed the Botanical tour! Very soon, I hope to post photos I took at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show I attended last week!

Dig, Grow, Compost, Blog said...

I just love those cacti! Can't get enough of them. Actually, all the plants you featured are amazing. Sounds like it was a great trip.

garden girl said...

Looks like a wonderful place to visit! Cactus is really starting to 'grow' on me in recent years.

Thanks for visiting my blog Judy!
I've added yours to my Illinois/Chicago blog roll.

MrBrownThumb said...

Last week at the Chicago Flower & Garden Show I saw a E.coerulescens cutting for sale. I knew I had seen it somewhere before that made me want it but couldn't remember where it was. So I Googled and found your post and remembered that your picture made me want to grow it.

Oh well, maybe next year.

;0)

Judy said...

Hi Jean! Yes, the Botanical Garden was a wonderful place to visit....nice hearing from you again :)

Garden Girl - Thank you for visiting my blog!! My eyes have been opened recently to the many cacti available. I had no idea there were so many varieties out there! I, too, am becoming more interested in them and am wanting to add a few to my indoor plant collection :)

Hi MBT!! Wow! how cool that my blog came up during your Google search :) I also attended the Flower and Garden Show and went totally ga-ga with my camera! I'm thinking I need to do the show in two days next year, instead of one. After reading other blog posts about the show, I feel I missed a lot:(
P.S. It was quite hilarious seeing me carrying my purchased 'twig' items on the train.....some of the regular commuters didn't find that very amusing :)

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Zone 5, Illinois, United States
I love digging in the garden and getting my hands dirty!