A Walk Through The Botanical Gardens in February

The Botanical Gardens are located adjacent to the hospital and South Shore Road drives right along its edge.  The Botanical Gardens opened to the public in 1898 and encompass 36 acres of trees, shrubs, plants, flowers, and fauna...including the ducks photographed for the last 2 blogs.  Not just a pretty flower garden, the Botanical Gardens are a very large open park, with surprisingly few people.  A good spot to commune with nature.

Just a peak and a hint at what the Botanical gardens holds

I have taken photos in the gardens in the spring and summer, but never before in February, so Saturday was the day to follow through and see what might be in bloom now that was not in the summer.  Mostly there was a lot less in bloom, as one would expect, but I did come across a few flowers that I had not noticed last summer.

I don't know what it is but it reminds me of leopard print so I call it "Cougar Plant."

Strangely, Cougar Plant looks like it develops into this...I traced it back to same vine

Ironically the very first flower I saw was glistening with dewdrops.  It's ironic because the very first time I took the camera to the Botanical Gardens it was my new toy, a hot summer day, and my sushi and photography partner in crime Phil was there, with a giant lens and lots of tips and tricks, including a little spray bottle to capture drops of water on the flowers.  My photos were terrible.  But today, my first trip out with the camera since Phil left the island, and here they were!

Just waiting to be photographed naturally

Liked how the water collecting on the upper surfaces shows through the bottom of the petals

The Gardens are really quite interesting.  There are many trees, shrubs, and influences from other countries, and in a manner very different from the flower beds I am used to seeing in North American parks, a lot of the flowers are very tiny, while a lot of the trees are very big.  It's an interesting dichotomy.  As well, many of he flowers are on trees and shrubs as opposed to being low lying flowering plants.  Sometimes the petals are tough and waxy, as on these little flowers below.

Sturdier than they are delicate, but just as pretty

And sometimes the flowers look so intricate and bizarre that they could inspire stories and characters.

This flower reminds me of a sci-fi movie where little alien hands would be reaching out and moving.

The main flower I came to photograph today was sparse in number, but I did find a good one.  It grows on the trellis at the sensory garden.  The sensory garden is a really cool concept.  The signs are in Braille and the plants were selected for having distinctive scents, a garden designed for the blind. There is a comfortable bench and a quiet pool of water below a statue that hosts lily pads...and of course, toads!  My toad pictures aren't as good as Dev's, but they are the best ones I have so far.  There were two of them hanging out in their, avoiding the prodding of a bunch of kids with sticks.  Fortunately for the toads, kids avoid adults (and I didn't even need to prod them with sticks), and soon it was just me and the toads.  In advance of Valentine's Day, I could joke that that statement also describes any potential dating situation here on the rock.  I wonder if either of these little fellas are free tomorrow.

Toads of the Sensory Garden

I think he is making eye contact....

On that note, I am due to start work soon so will leave you with a photo of the funky little flower that I turned off the road to find in the first place.  If you are under cloudy or snowy skies, I hope they make you smile today.

Cool huh?  Again, I don't know names, so will call this one "The Purple Ned" after my friend who calls herself the purple goddess.  UPDATE...I have been notified by Pam, Jody, and Phil that this is the passion flower, Genus Passiflora.