It depends on where the botanical garden is, what plants you can see. That’s why I love botanical gardens. In San Francisco I was there on every visit, because there are growing plants outside you can only see in the greenhouse in Germany. The garden is big and is situated at the Golden Gate Park. This is on the side of the mountains where the fog comes in and the part of the city that stretches out to the Pacific Ocean. The fog makes it possible to grow many plants from rainforests, for example Hedychium gardnerianum, the Kahili Ginger. It’s shown in the title photo – the scent is awesome.
Opened in 1940, the collection of magnolia began one year earlier. It now consists of 100 magnolia in 55 different species and 31 hybrids. Each spring they bloom between end of january and march. The garden is partitioned in different continents and landscapes, from mesoamerican rainforests to asia to South Africa. In total there are 8.000 different plants in the botanical garden to be seen. I think this will take some time for me to see all…
Native beauties
There are not only exotic plants but also a native section. California is one of the top 25 biodiversity hotsports in the world. In spring California is really great because the many species of iris and the escholzia are in bloom. The redwood forest too is of stunning beauty with the ferns and the dicentra. Now, end of august, there is not so much to see. The huge echium stems are withered. Summers in California are dry, the grasses get dry and golden and the hills look like covered with fur. The green colour will be back end of october when rain comes. Only in the steep canyonsthere is enough humidity, here are growing masses of ferns.
But the Salvia love the dry climate an the sandy soils. Everywhere in the Botanical Garden there are Salvias in different colours and sizes up to 10 ft. Mostly seen in California in places that see no frost are the Salvia leucantha. In this time of the year you can see the big pink flowers of the Amaryllis belladonna blooming in many gardens and even on the side of streets. They have their origin in South Africa but it seems they like California too.
Rainforest in the city
In the part of South Africa are the Eucomis in bloom, also still some Kniphofia, Gladiolus and Protea plus the exquisite Haemanthus and ornamental grasses.
Near South Africa you are running into New Zealand, a totally overgrown place where you can get lost. The most interesting plant for me was the Corokia cotoneaster with branches like black wire.
End of august, the blooming time of Fuchsia begins. They are found mostly in the rainforest of Middle and South America. There is every size and colour, from ground covering plants to the miniature to trees or panicles 1,5 ft long, hanging like cascades.
Immer wieder Neues entdecken Always discovering new plants
The Perennial Gardens are dissapointing from a european point of view because they are too ordinary and lack fantasy. In Europe you can see awesome examples of perennial gardens in many places. Knowing that from my previous visits, I only passed by and came to Chilean rainforest (which is a cold one, very interesting), Gondwana, Australia, Mediterranean Garden and so on. I love the Frangrance Garden, even if it’s somehow low-key at this time of the year. But by walking by the nose gets so many different scents that it’s a challenge to identify the matching plants.
The Botanical Garden in San Francisco has a great atmosphere, not too tidied up. Withered plants still stay – like in nature. Only things that are necessary are made in the different sections. The greens are in a very good shape, like in a park. So it’s great to stroll around and discover every time something new. That’s what I love and where I feel at home.
Who wants to know more: On this pages of the Botanical Garden are interesting portraits of some plants.
Oh, you want to see the salvia and some other plants I talked about? Here are some more pictures:
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