Some Winter Flowers- San Francisco Botanical Garden

[fumobici]

This isn't a proper report, just some flower pics I took Friday at the SF Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park. The pics aren't anything special, but the fact that I could take flower pics in February was for me. Especially as back up here in Washington State now, we are having the biggest "winter event" in nine or more years. My flight back up here Saturday was canceled twice due to snow. 


 
Rhody


?


Rose


Gardenia


Magnolia "Darjeeling"


Currant


?


Calla


?


Euphorbia?


?


?


?


?


Rock Rose


Rock Rose


Rhody


?



Rhody


Foxglove


?


Impatiens


Oxalis


?


Borage


Cranesbill


Edgeworthia

I've added some guesses as to what these are. Some I haven't any idea.

[kerouac2]

Excellent! I know that winters are mild along most of the California coast (after all, I lived there for six years), but I wouldn't have expected to see a lot of those blooming in February. Of course that is the speciality of botanical gardens -- they know exactly how to protect and nurture everything.

[bixaorellana]

Yes, I was also surprised that all those flowers were blooming in February, even on the California coast. (I used to live in Pacific Grove.)

Your dazzling pictures make for most uplifting and enjoyable viewing ~ thanks! That Darjeeling Magnolia made my day. I would kill to know what #11 is.

My IDs ~

2. Gerbera

4. Camellia1

9. Aloe

10. I think maybe some kind of spurge, which is indeed a euphorbia

12. African daisy

13. Aloe

21. Begonia

22. Impatiens

24. Aloe

[mickthecactus]

I know what 11 is. Who would you like to nominate?

[breeze]

Those gorgeous photos filled my screen and gave me a taste of spring, which'll be a long time coming here. Snow all around at the moment. I think I need to get to a greenhouse soon.

[fumobici]

I have a thing where I mix up Camellia and Gardenia even though I know better. Oops. Thanks for the further IDs.

[cheerypeabrain]

Oooh I think I dribbled on the keyboard...luscious fumobici 😍

[bixaorellana]

Feb 12, 2019 16:09:22 GMT fumobici said:

I have a thing where I mix up Camellia and Gardenia even though I know better. Oops. Thanks for the further IDs.

I suspected as much! You'll remember that you gently corrected my same kind of mix-up, where I wrote hibiscus even though I knew it was hydrangea.

[kerouac2]

That's like when I mixed up nettles and thistles. I know exactly what each of those is.

[amboseli]

I love the colour of the magnolia. Ours are pale pink and far from blooming.

[casimira]

Lovely photos!

I knew #4 had to be a mistake on your part.

#18 I think is either a native Rhododendron or Azalea given the leaf structure and the stamens.* Best guess a native Azalea.(I have seen a few that thrive North of here and they are so much more desirable than the ornamental varieties that are not native rather oriental introductions.) They have a honeysuckle like scent to them.

It's been so long since I've seen R's in bloom as they don't thrive here but we had a lot of them in NY on our property there. (I distinctively remember the amount of nectar/sap the blooms "drooled", very sticky...)

I have to say, every time I see borage I positively swoon.. every element of that plant in it's glory sends me...

Thanks for the show Fumobici.


<sub>(P.S.* All native azaleas are Rhododendron species thus the confusion)

Also, when using the name "daisy", as in African Daisy, it also can get confusing because so many of the "daisy" named plants get confused with one another, somewhat due to regional nomenclature that's been passed on from generation to generation.
The African Daisy that Bixa ID'd is a Osteospermum. Other "daisy" like flowers can range from what many other refer to as "black eyed Susan", Shasta daisy etc.
To confuse matters even more. I've heard people refer to #2, Gerbera daisy as an African daisy.</sub>

[fumobici]

I can remember driving across Lazio in the spring and the ditches in the countryside were *filled* with wild borage. I had to stop and gape at the spectacle. Anyone who has grown the plant won't be surprised to learn that every of the thousands/millions of plants was being mobbed by bees. When it's quiet you can hear them everywhere.

Here's what it looks like in the backyard today-

[fumobici]

Let's move on to another garden in Golden Gate Park, right next door and rather than start a new thread, we'll just hijack this one.

As I was leaving the Botanical Garden to go wander the park, this is what I saw-



Of course, the Japanese Tea Garden which I'd walked by many times but never entered. This is the entrance. The garden is free for SF natives I think, but $9.00 for gaijin like me.



Was it worth it? I can't decide, probably yes. It's very well-done. But I'll leave it up to you.





They have a little restaurant serving tea and light Japanese stuff like Udon, Ramen, and Japanese tea sandwiches.



I was still too full from breakfast to try any of the fare on offer.











Koi-





Enough with the yakking, here are more photos.

[mich64]

Absolutely worth $9.00. Serene and beautiful. I could sit and watch the fish for hours.

[kerouac2]

It looks totally charming in February, but it must be a riot of colour when spring arrives if the Japanese garden near Paris is any indication.

[mickthecactus]

Lovely pictures Fumo. So nice to see at this time of the year. And what about #11??

[fumobici]

As I said, I have no idea. You?

[mickthecactus]

I think so but Bixa said she would kill to know and I wondered who she would nominate.

[mickthecactus]

No reply but I think it’s a Protea.

[lugg]

Missed this before now - what a delight.