Wildflowers at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden!

 The first week of April is actually the latter part of the wildflowers in the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.  The California Poppies and Blue-eyed-grass are still going strong.

The Meadow in the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

California Poppies

Blue-eyed-grass

California Poppies and Blue-eyed-grass

Blue-eyed-grass

The Meadow in the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

California Poppy

California Poppy and green seed pods.
When the pods turn brown, they will be ready to harvest and available for sale in the gift shop!

The bees like the California Poppies.

Wooly Bluecurls

A lizard hanging out under the Wooly Bluecurls

 Iris PCH Blue

 Iris PCH Blue

Golden Lupine, (Lupinus microcarpus var. densiflorus)

Golden Lupine, (Lupinus microcarpus var. densiflorus)

Fairyduster (Calliandra eriophylla)

The Meadow in Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Guadalupe Island Senecio (Senecio palmeri)
Rare endemic of Guadalupe Island, off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. Grows on rocky volcanic slopes.  Numbers were reduced by goats, now recovering after goat removal.

Gum-plant

Gum-plant

Dudleya brittonii

Red-flowered Buckwheat

Red-flowered Buckwheat

Patio of the Pritzlaff Conservation Center in the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden,
looking out over the Pacific Ocean.

This photo was taken from the edge of the lawn next to the patio of Patio of the Pritzlaff Conservation Center.  You can see Santa Cruz Island and the Pacific Ocean in the background. If you look closely on the right-hand side, you can see the tower that was originally part of Saint Anthony's Seminary. Then on the left side you can see the top of the two dome towers of the Old Mission Santa Barbara.

Fremontodendren is Blooming!

 The Fremontodendron is blooming on the hillside.  I think the drought has reduced the number of green leaves and blossoms this year.  This is a native of California, and named after John C Freemont who collected it in 1846 on an expedition to Alta California.

Fremontodendren

Fremontodendren

Fremontodendren

Fremontodendren

Fremontodendren

WPA Rock Garden in Sacramento California

I took some pictures of some springtime color in the WPA Rock Garden in Sacramento, California.  

Iris

California Poppy

Tulip

Tulip

Aloe

Aloe

Calle Lily

Nigella Damescena

Nigella Damescena

Cactus M. elongata

This cactus M. elongata caught my eye.  I like the little blooms that are opening up and how the white spines with rust color tips, contrast against the green cactus.  And the best part is how the spines turn back in towards the cactus!  I can easily move it around and not get stuck and no sneaky spines too!  

Begonia Bipinnatifida

 Six months ago, I bought this begonia Bipinnatifida from Al and at that time it was in a clear 20 oz. cup (6" tall and 3" wide).  Since then I've been keeping it in several terrariums, and it keeps growing!  Now it's in a new terrarium, that I just made.   I've thinned the begonia out, and put half of the cuttings into water in an attempt to propagate more pants.  You can see them in the back of the terrarium. I really like the red stems, and fern like leaves of this native from New Guinea.

B. Bipinnatifida

B. Bipinnatifida

B. Bipinnatifida

B. Bipinnatifida

Assignment Red!

 I was bringing groceries into the house and this red Hibiscus caught my eye.  I looked around the garden to see what other plants were showing off their red.

Hibiscus

Begonia

Euphorbia

Coleus

Bougainvillea

Cattleya Orchid

 Mike Flaherty has been growing this amazing Cattleya Orchid in the greenhouse.  He brought it into the house when it started to bloom, and now it has 13 beautiful and fragrant blooms.  I wish the blooms on a Cattleya orchid, lasted as long as the blooms on a Phalaenopsis orchid.

Cattleya Orchid

Cattleya Orchid

Cattleya Orchid