7/19/2007

Thursday night botanical garden

IMG_4162

IMG_4163

IMG_4166

IMG_4167

IMG_4169

IMG_4170

IMG_4152

IMG_4211

IMG_4145

Finally, a halfway decent picture of Iochroma cyaneum for you.

IMG_4118

IMG_4119

IMG_4114

IMG_4105

The Beaucarnia is flowering!

IMG_4106

IMG_4103

IMG_4102

IMG_4104

IMG_4092

IMG_4085

IMG_4088

IMG_4079

IMG_4076

Follow the trunk on that Echium. So cool!

IMG_4078

IMG_4066

I've been trying to get here after work for awhile. San Francisco is beautiful in the summer evening light. It follows that the Botanical Garden is even more beautiful. The garden closes at 5 p.m. I thought that meant noone could be in the garden past 5, but it means you can't enter after 5. You can exit through the turnstiles after the gates are locked.

But I didn't come here alone tonight. I'm here with my bff Kirsten who works for the non-profit arboretum foundation. For a living. Yes, she's that fabulous.

And she's a total brainiac. She knows immediately how to take close-ups with my camera. So now I know! I tell her this will dramatically increase the blog's photographic range. She said, "You have a blog?" She becomes the third person who knows me personally to learn that I have a blog.

Kirsten, thank you for showing me what that little button on my camera is for!

IMG_4059

IMG_4040

IMG_4037

IMG_4193

IMG_4026

IMG_4143

IMG_4208

This odd, trailing dwarf conifer is one of my favorite plants in the whole garden.

IMG_4190

IMG_4199

IMG_4200

IMG_4201

IMG_4032

IMG_4027

IMG_4028

Quail family!

IMG_4182

(Sorry the picture's blurry. I generally try to keep my distance. There are usually at least two mating pair here every year. This brood covey seemed especially large. There were several more chicks not shown.)

There's a class tonight on 'Horticulture Therapy', like to learn how to help disabled people appreciate plants. Plants for blind people, plants for angry children. Something like that. Kirsten explained it better. They have a lot of classes here. These are the people in the class heading in to the garden.

IMG_4205

They have classes and lectures and seminars going on all the time.

IMG_4230

IMG_4227

IMG_4222

I love that there are two societies for succulent & cactus enthusiasts.

IMG_4225

Do you belong to any horticultural societies? If so, which ones? If not, how come?

IMG_4226

The offices are at the end of the hall. We're special so we can go inside and look around.

IMG_4229

Last year's promotional posters. The arboretum has a large collection of magnolias from all over the world.

IMG_4215

IMG_4216

That's Kirsten's desk, and that's her hand.

IMG_4217

IMG_4218

An old aerial view of the botanical garden (along the bottom), Stow Lake (upper left), and the former California Academy of Science and DeYoung Museum (both now, or soon to be, in new structures).

IMG_4220

After finishing some business, we're off for dinner.

IMG_4233

This neighborhood is called 'the inner Sunset'.

This is le Video, generally considered the best movie rental store in San Francisco.

IMG_4235

IMG_4236

IMG_4237

IMG_4238

IMG_4239

We're having burgers.

IMG_4241

IMG_4244

IMG_4245

14 comments:

Deviant Deziner, aka Michelle said...

Thanks for the tour, MOST ENJOYABLE !
I really appreciate seeing your photographs of the garden.
It has been almost 2 months since I've been in the garden due to crappy health issues.
So thankyou thankyou thankyou for lifting my spirits with such great botanical garden photos.
You captured the quality of light is just perfect !

Michelle

chuck b. said...

I hope your recovery progresses speedily and thoroughly, Michelle!

I'm going back tomorrow for a volunteer appreciation event.

So, there will be more pictures.

JvA said...

Yes, great closeup shots! Where's that little button on your camera? I want to learn how to take closeups too.

I thought you were a vegetarian?

chuck b. said...

No, Guy is a vegetarian. I am vegetarian-friendly. I'm even vegan-friendly. Kirsten is a vegetarian. She had a veggie burger. I had a cheeseburger with three kinds of cheese, and a salad. And water to drink. I'm strangely hooked on ice water lately. So refreshing.

chuck b. said...

The little button has a flower icon next to it. It's sort of like, "Press this button with the little flower to take close-ups of flowers."

Wouldn't you think I'd have just tried it? Me being a scientist, and all?

JvA said...

Oh, you mean the flower/mountains button! I will try that one today. Maybe I'll take pictures of flowers AND mountains.

Annie in Austin said...

Chuck, even I figured out the flower button was for taking photos of flowers....but no matter how many buttons are available, one must have access to the blooms to make it work. Boy oh boy, do you have access to some beautiful subjects for your pictures.

My fingers were twitching when you went into your friend's office and showed the aerial view - those things fascinate me.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

lisa said...

I thought your pictures were already good quality, but now you're rockin' it ALL the way out! You're right about the gardens being pretty late afternoon, that conifer IS cool, kinda like a big snake slithering along the ground.

Christopher C. NC said...

I miss my high speedier internet. Sometimes your mega tours don't load completely on satellite internet. I liked what I saw which was most of it.

lisa said...

And the quail! Love to see that you have some running around, as they are often low in number from feral cat populations. (Ground-dwelling birds and all.) I think the California quail are the most beautiful of the family.

Anonymous said...

Chris, I know what you mean, Chuck sometimes chokes my T1 connection, never mind DSL. If you have Firefox, this will help: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3664

I went to Ebisu before my last CalHort meeting; it was awesome and expensive

chuck b. said...

You go to CalHort meetings at Strybing? I suppose it never occurred to you to invite me.

Anonymous said...

I've only gone to two, ever. I'm way too lazy to go anywhere after work.

That said, Mary Sue Ittner is talking sometime this fall, she's awesome. If you're interested...

LostRoses said...

So glad you found that button, and what great use you made of it! I love that kitchen scrub-brush palm. And those purple bells, they look like whimsical metal wind chimes. Very cool!