13 April 2022
After a lazy and rain-free morning at camp, we ventured out to do some errands and to visit the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. We had a very nice lunch at the restaurant there and then spent several hours walking the property. It’s really impressive. A formal rose garden will beckon later in the summer but we were lucky to catch the end of the azalea bloom. I’ll share the hundreds of thousands of photos I took (haha, jk) starting with landscapes, moving to sculptures, and ending with a ton of flower pictures. The naming is a work in progress….check back for more!
Landscapes
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| Crape myrtle almost ready to leaf out |
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| I liked this “pond” water feature…it was just a surprise on a walk in the woods! |
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| Sunning |
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| The Formal Rose Garden will be spectacular when it’s in full bloom |
Sculpture
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| This was so pretty in person! “The Orchid Thief” |
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| Eagle Scout project |
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| She reminds me of the Copenhagen harbor mermaid |
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Stork fountain
Flowers take center stage
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| A single fancy tulip blossom |
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| Swamp iris |
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| Another possible holly shrub—a LARGE shrub, well over our heads! |
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| Poppies |
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| Poppy |
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| Orange mountain azalea |
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| 💜 |
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| Mountain azalea |
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| Azalea |
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| Azaleas |
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| Breezy day make for a nice walk but a challenge for getting buds in focus. |
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Azalea
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| Camellia; a rare one in fresh bloom. Most were long gone. |
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A camellia tree with blush, pink, and red all from the same base. Maybe grafts? |
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| So many buds! |
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| Japanese Iris |
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Beautiful wisteria. There wasn’t that much of it at the Botanical Gardens, but we see it growing wild along the roadsides. |
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| The leaves look like holly |
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While I have no idea what this is, I thought it was so striking. The dark leaves and the optic yellow “poker” was so cool. |
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| Spiny |
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| Bamboo forest |
And, a favorite:
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| Koi and turtles |
Tomorrow: we head to Birmingham for the Civil Rights Tour….stay tuned!
What wonderful and diverse flora photos -- and I LOVE the turtles (living and sculpted). Your Uncle Tom L (aka "Little Turtle") would love them, too. Such a beautiful place to walk.
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