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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

On the eighth day of Christmas, a Zoo Lights resolution

You may be a plant geek if you go to a beautiful holiday light show like Zoo Lights and get as big a thrill from the outlines of some of the plants you see as you do from the amazing light show.


I usually don't bother with resolutions for the new year because they usually don't last very long.  However, if I go back to Zoo Lights next year, I will take a tripod to get better pictures of the dramatically lit foliage.  That's a resolution , right?

 


Usually when thinking of zoos, great gardens don't spring to mind but the Point Defiance Zoo has delicious gardens on their grounds!  I once had the pleasure of meeting the head gardener from Point Defiance when he was shopping at Jungle Fever Exotics, just up the street.   Are those aloes, agaves, and yuccas?
 This reminded me a little of Shirley's beautiful blue agave.


I finally couldn't stand it any longer, turned on the flash and started pointing the camera in the direction of shapes that looked interesting.


 There were so many palms that I lost count!
 Lots of different kinds of bamboo.  This grove is pretty impressive!  Can you see the head of the person just right of center?

By the time I found this echium, my second resolution became clear:  I WILL revisit the zoo during the day when the holiday event is over.  While they have some adorable newborn tigers that everyone is talking about, and lots of other fascinating animals, I'll be more interested in the plants. 




 A teenaged (under 40 they all look like kids to me) woman said loudly to her friend for my benefit, "Doesn't he realize that flash photography won't get the lights very well?" Truth be told, I had the same thought when folks were trying to capture the lights utilizing a flash but I was taking pictures of the plants.   Thank you for this bit of wisdom!  I do hope that you will return to the zoo with me during the day so that you can tell your friend that if I point the camera at the plants I won't get very good shots of the elephants. 


Trachycarpus fortunei drupes looking quite lovely!

 I'm looking forward to revisiting this place in 2013.  Finally, a resolution I can keep!
 
Hope you have a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2013!


15 comments:

  1. The foliage at night makes great patterns. Might be fun to see how they get those lights out of the opuntia.

    Thanks for the link!

    Enjoyed seeing all these lights so much I resolve to add more next year. I'm looking for ideas on how to light the palms.

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    1. I'm just glad that I don't have to take the lights out of the spiky areas.

      Oh that's simple, hold your hand up to a light bulb and voila, lighted palms. (Sorry, I've the mind of a 13 year old boy and couldn't resist.) The uplighting in one color while somehow side lighting with another was very effective on the palms at Zoo Lights.

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    2. Funnneeee!

      I've been thinking of uplighting the palms anyway so might move that up on the list.

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  2. Those are some pretty cool pictures! I can't wait to see what they look like during the day. Thanks for sharing all your adventures with us. Happy new year!

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    1. It's always a joy to have my blog friends along on my adventures! Thanks for keeping me company! Happy new year to you too.

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  3. Uhm...maybe I need to plan a trip to the Zoo too! I never have been to Pt Defiance Park.

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    1. Hadn't seen the gardens in several years but could tell by what the gardener there was talking about having bought at Cistus and was buying at Jungle Fever that it was getting better all the time. The park and zoo are great & you should visit when you have a chance!

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  4. Palms and agaves oh my!!!!! I love it! Thanks.

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    1. Lots of palms, fewer agaves. Made me think of you.

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  5. Have you figured out how to distinguish species of palms? While in South Carolina I learned to tell palmettos and dwarf palmettos, the rest I haven't learned to tell apart.

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    1. Oh, this is fairly easy in the Pacific Northwest: If it's alive and outside it's most likely Trachycarpus Fortunei (single trunk) or Chamaerops Humilis (multi trunk.) If it's alive and outside but doesn't last for many years because it can't handle the cold/rain combination, it' Washingtonia robusta. If it's outside and alive but looks like hell because it gets damaged by the cold every winter and doesn't regain its good looks until summer, it's Butia capitata. The end. If it's an indoor/tropical palm, I've no clue.

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  6. Were you getting some strange looks as you pointed your camera at the plants instead of the lights?

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    1. One of the nice things about being of a certain age is not caring so much what other people think. This works out well when people stare at one's "odd" behavior. To help people feel more at ease, it's helpful to start speaking a dead language like latin. "Wow, look at all the Trachycarpus fortunei! Is that an Opuntia over there by the Echium candicans?" I narrowly escaped the guys with the white coats and nets.

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  7. LOL! I'm going to have to plan a trip there too this spring/summer. I had no idea the gardens there were so interesting. Thanks for deciding to turn on your flash.

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    1. At one point, I started laughing at myself as I became increasingly excited about the plants I saw everywhere. Some of them were situated in such dark areas that I couldn't distinguish them from the background in the camera's viewfinder so I just pushed the shutter release and hoped.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.