Gardens Posts

    We are now at the largest reflecting pool near the Climatron Conservatory.  The giant water platters you see appearing among Chihuly’s glass onions are the Longwood Hybrid Victorias.     The ‘Longwood’ lily, with the upright rim,  is a cross between the Victoria Amazonica and the Victoria Cruziana.   Native Victorias are indigenous to t...

    This is the second of three parts in the life of a water lily at Missouri Botanical Garden.  Besides the lilies, brilliant summer flowers add great accent to the six reflecting pools where the lilies are placed when conditions are right. At the 'Garden', much effort is put into the preparation and care of the exotic water plants on display.       T...

  For a St. Louisan, the place to catch some flower drama for the summer is Missouri Botanical Garden……of course.   August is prime viewing time for the exotic, tropical water lilies that turn the reflecting pools into spectacular displays!  There are 230 plants produced at the ‘Garden’ that include more than 50 different cultivars of Nymphaea.       &...

          The garden area is like having an extra room in the house.  You decorate it with your favorites.  Then you sit back (at a certain point), enjoy and delight in your creation of ‘family’ flowers.  It’s therapeutic, satisfying and so pleasant to look at.          The ‘Pandora’s Box Daylily’ is a mounding perennial...

          In reading some background about the design of Seiwa-en, it is generally agreed the garden that exists within the parameters of the Missouri Botanical Garden is an understatement of the gardens typically found in Japan that are imbued with showy flowers, plants and statuary.  Nonetheless, the greenery everywhere was like none other as it always led ...

    Thank you for rejoining us for the second in a series of the Japanese Garden located on no less than 14 acres at Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.  This is the largest Japanese strolling garden in the Western hemisphere.   Traditional Japanese bridges are included in the garden’s design.  The central one, referred to as Drum Bridge, alludes to its round...

    The Seiwa-en, ‘garden of pure, clear harmony and peace’ comprises a total of 14 acres at the Missouri Botanical Garden.  This Japanese Garden was designed by the late Professor Koichi Kawana who was a native of Japan.  He lectured on environmental design and landscape architecture at UCLA.   The Garden was dedicated in 1977.  Although our visit was somewhat af...

  There is something about dynamics of uniformity; e.g. marching bands, geese formation and singular color en-masse.   We hope you’ll enjoy these images of ‘purple on parade’.            For those who love gardens and photography, botanical estates always have a show to put on for our enjoyment.   Hope you will join us for a lo...

  Since we have touched on the subject of home gardening within recent posts, perhaps this is a good time to visit the Kemper Center for Home Gardening within the grounds of Missouri Botanical Garden.  It is the largest gardener’s resource in the country along with the one best-supplied.  There are on-staff experts, adult education classes, and a library along with website referenc...

  For the gardener enthusiast who has limited patience until harvest time, green tomatoes may be the perfect selection if one is looking for produce to pick before it ripens.  Green tomatoes are firm, just perfect for salsa and relish.  They can be refrigerated for up to two weeks to retain the green color and taste.  Although there are varieties of green tomatoes, ultimately ...