World Gardens in a Flash

Corpus Christi’s South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center were in a bit of a crisis when we visited last winter due to the browsings of wild pigs. This just goes to show how much care one must take when planning your gardens especially when pests can cause havoc. The Botanical Gardens were still quite a delight to visit and we immediately purchased a membership because doing so allowed us into many of Corpus Christi’s top attractions for free during the month of February. One thing I should say is don’t expect the usual botanical gardens, these are quite unique for a number of reasons. They are located on a property with a huge lake and visitors to the gardens can extend their visit and walk to take in the birding and wildlife in the natural part of the gardens. Other best bets include a greenhouse with orchids, a succulent cactus garden, surprising roses (they bloom early), a butterfly garden and some exotic trees. If you have the chance to visit you won’t be dismayed.

Succulent / Cactus Garden

Succulents and cactus have the advantage of being low water tolerant and will grow in the arid conditions with minimal care. Although the sajuaro is often viewed as being like a modern sign with spines, many other cacti have beautiful color and shapes. Succulents also have the advantage of having good shapes and contours.

Orchids

Most of the orchids were kept in a greenhouse at Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens. A walk through the greenhouse will net you many examples and will introduce you to some of the issues of care and styles of growth.

Butterfly Garden

The butterfly garden at Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens sometimes missed edges due to the wild pigs, but in February they were already well in bloom. Several of the species grown were local wildflowers that were quite beautiful.

Roses

Yes, roses do grow quite beautifully in Corpus Christi and are in full bloom in February. The botanical gardens has a lovely formal look and shade too.

Cost of Admission: $5.00 for adults, seniors and students $4, children under 12 $2

Address:  8545 SOUTH STAPLES, CORPUS CHRISTI, TX 78413

Phone: (351) 652-2100

When you visit Cairns, Australia, try to take several hours and visit the Flecker Botanical Gardens. Although you might not find any special plant for your garden and furthermore, might no be able to take any plants home through customs, you will probably learn something new about plants.

The Flecker Botanical Gardens is filled with lovely exotics that are beautiful to behold. Some of them you will have seen in other places like Hawaii. The fruit and flower shown above was a new one for me.

This native shelter is part of the exhibit at Flecker Botanical Gardens explaining the native way of life. Most of the plants in the native garden explained how they were used by the local population to fish, eat, and as medicines.

Nearby are two lakes that we wandered around looking for birds. We found many of our first Australian birds and were very pleased with our surroundings, including walking beneath huge trees.

Thanksgiving morning, I joined friends for a walk from Stanley Sayres Memorial Park in Seattle, WA to Seward Park, a lovely hilly park on Lake Washington. I grew up downtown Seattle so my parents often took us to Seward Park to play and to watch the Blue Angels fly overhead during the Hydrofoil Races during Seafair every year. The walk from Stanley Sayres Memorial Park to Seward park is about 4 miles round trip along the shore of Lake Washington. The trail passes several marinas, some marsh land and then follows along the edge of Seward Park. Seward Park is a hilly park filled with grassy areas and lined with trees. Views of Mt. Rainer over the lake are terrific. Walkers may spy various ducks and an otter or beaver. This is a very natural park and the gardening is minimal except for examples of lovely trees that you might want for your garden.

Note the many plants that line the shore. This is a terrific way to find out what plants grow naturally and use them in planting a pond garden.

Coricancha (Qorikancha) is the site of the former Inca center in Cusco and is now the base of the Santo Domingo church. This is a typical result when someone has previously done the laborous stonework or for the stones to be stolen and used in other buildings. A walk through Coricancha is educational about the Inca especially in terms of their stone building capabilities.

Most people leave by way of the formal gardens which are seen from above.

In this part of the garden, the three major Inka symbols are carved into plants so viewers can see the serpent, the jaguar and the condor from above. Other plants include some of the largest tree-sized fuscias I’ve seen.

Coricancha’s temples, according to Lonely Planet, one to the sun and one to the moon, were covered with solid sheets of gold and silver respectively. The museum documents some of the astrology used by the Inca, including two gorgeous modern astronomy paintings of the Milky Way.