San Antonio Botanical Garden

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Garden Visit

spring

Here are a few of my favorite photographs from The San Antonio Botanical Gardens. 

At the entry, the spring, tulips and snapdragon (Antirrhinum sp.) bloom.  Sculptural artwork by Alejandro Martin is featured throughout the gardens. titled Geometric Harmony, the exhibit is designed for people to experience the beauty of life through nature and art.  Artwork title: Hashtag Orange.

CreditJeanette Hyden

Above:  The garden encompasses many design features including form, flow, funtion, and color. The blue agave complements the orange of the Alejandro Martin, Hashtag artwork. Beautiful harmony, yes.                Credit Jeanette Hyden

Architectural Digest magazine has listed the San Antonio Botanical Gardens as one of the top eight most beautiful gardens in the United States. The most awe-inspiring structure at the San Antonio Botanical Garden is the Lucile Halsell Conservatory. Unveiled in 1988 and designed by Argentinian architect Emilio Ambasz, the futuristic glass conservatory was the first of his projects ever built. The garden is home to several historic structures built in Texas in the 1800s, like the Daniel J. Sullivan Carriage House and the Auld House, moved to the grounds of the Garden so that the public can explore what life was like on the Texas frontier. For more information visit their website.

The  Lucile Halsell Conservatory complex entrance.  Sculptural artwork by Alejandro Martin, title: Dodecahedron.                                                             Credit: Jeanette Hyden

Sculptural artwork by Alejandro Martin, title: Dodecahedron.                                              Credit: Jeanette Hyden

The  Lucile Halsell Conservatory complex features an epiphyte exhibit room displaying orchids, bromeliads and other plants typically found in a tropical rain forest canopy.  Credit: Jeanette Hyden

Anthurium is native to the Americas, where it is distributed from northern Mexico to northern Argentina

Robert and Helen Kleberg Desert Pavilion

  Palm and Cycad Pavilion                                                                                   Credit Jeanette Hyden

Palm and Cycad Pavilion                                                                                                              Credit Jeanette Hyden

Palm and Cycad Pavilion                                                                                                                           Credit Jeanette Hyden

Sculptural artwork by Alejandro Martin, title: Geometric Harmony.                                                Credit: JeanetteHyden

Poppy     (Papaver)                                                                                                                                             Credit Jeanette Hyden

Morocco native, Linaria maroccana, commonly called linaria or toadflax.                                           Credit Jeanette Hyden

A Botanical Garden Visit in May

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Hats Off to Color and Form

Bear's Breeches, Acanthus mollis
The warriors headdress replicates the form of the floral inflorescence.

"Acanthus mollis, commonly known as bear’s breeches, is a clump-forming perennial that is grown as much for its attractive foliage as for its architecturally bold flower spikes. It is native to the Mediterranean region. Acanthus leaves have a classical appearance and were the source of the Corinthian leaf motif developed and used as a decoration in ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture. It is believed that the leaves of  Acanthus mollis or  Acanthus spinosis were the model for the sculptured leaves that adorn the capitals of the Corinthian columns that became popular in the 4th century B.C." MBG

A "Fascinator" of Celosia and Coleus

The whale agave has the bluish-grey colour and succulent texture of whale skin.  
The whale agave is surrounded by several varieties of succulents and cactus in this water saving demonstration garden. The mulch is made from pecan shells.

The whale agave has artistic colour, form, and texture.

More bluish-grey in a mourning dove 

A vivid red Lily

Lacy Angelica

Red yucca, Hesperaloe

Zinnia and coleus

Ornamental millet, Pennisetum glaucum 'Jade Princess'

 A container using the chartreuse ornamental millet

Pennisetum glaucum 'Jade Princess'

Ornamental millet with red coleus

Pomegranate

Cycad

The winds have been strong all week as you can see in the wispy flowers.

Flax lily, Dianella tasmanica

Gardenia

Ornamental shell ginger, Alpinia zerumbet 'Variegata'

I grow this successfully in my woodland garden (zone 7b)

Lobelia

Lobelia

Poppy, Papaver

Poppy, Papaver

                                                                                                                             

Grassroots Horticulture

2006-2019

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May Flowers

CORN POPPY (Papaver Rhoeas)
Poppy seeds carefully sown during the winter reward this gardener with pink and red taffeta like petals. The directions stated, "place the seeds directly onto the soil," as they require exposure to the sun for germination.

CORN POPPY (Papaver Rhoeas)
Colors include red, pink and a shade of salmon.

Golden oregano 

(Origanum vulgare 'Aureum’)

Planting florescent colored ground covers at the base of roses, salvias, and loftier plants can highlight and showcase your favorite perennials. The Green-yellow shades of spring green, chartreuse, harlequin, and spring or bright green found in golden oregano (Origanum vulgare 'Aureum’), 'Marguerite' sweet potato vine (Ipomea batatas 'Marguerite'), and gold moss sedum (Sedum acre) are alternatives to mulch. The golden oregano planted in 2011 survived the drought and remained vibrant throughout the winter months.

Gold moss sedum (Sedum acre 'Aureum')
Sedum acre 'Aureum'

The creeping sedum are excellent groundcover plants, especially in hot and dry sites. The gold moss sedum forms a low carpet of tiny succulent leaves, the peak of each stem turns yellow in the spring. In the summer tiny golden star flowers appear. This is a good choice for containers.

Texas Mountain Laurel

Beardtongue 

(Penstemon 'Dark Towers')

Beardtongue (Penstemon 'Dark Towers') is an unpretentious perennial with crimson foliage and adds depth and interest to a border garden. As the beardtongue begins to fade the eastern purple coneflower begins to emerge.

Eastern Purple Coneflower
(Echinacea Purpurea)
Native

Eastern Purple Coneflower
(Echinacea Purpurea)
Native