The Tropical Paradise Just up the Street

This time of year, it's just starting to get light  when I go to work and dark when I return so I only wander around my own garden on weekends.  Now that freezing weather has arrived and the abundance of the summer garden is a fond memory, it's sometimes nice to walk up the street to the Seymour Conservatory to see what's happening in that tropical paradise. See previous visits here and here.

 

This guy is always glad to see you no matter the weather! 

Inside, potted blooming Rhododendron Konori  were scattered throughout adding their sweet perfume to that of the lemon tree.  Smells like summer here!

These lemons are huge!  I wonder who gets to make lemonade with these beauties?

What a treat to walk beneath This Ponderosa Lemon Hybrid laden with cheerful yellow fruit!

Coleus still adding a pleasant jolt of color until it's replaced by hundreds of  poinsettias and amaryllis for December. 

I wonder if all the great ornamental peppers get to stay for another month?  They sure look festive to me!

My previous post was all about the display of exhibition chrysanthemums.  Here's a view  that includes some of them. 

And another.  When interspersed with the tropical/ sub tropical foliage, the mums look exotic, as if they belong in such a setting. 

Bowiea volubilis, also known as Climbing onion is an easy to grow succulent. 

Speaking of plants that enjoy an arid environment...

Bird of paradise jumping out of the corner to make us take notice.  (Am I the only one reminded of the bird in the Crazy for Cocoa Puffs commercial?)

Where are we again?  This fellow took a left at Chichen Itza and think that maybe he misread the map.  Of course, being a guy, he wouldn't stop for directions so look where he ended up!

Euphorbia anyone?  What a thrill to see this one that's way over my head!

It's not often that the plants tell you what to do.

I'm glad this orchid did though because the flowers smelled like bubble gum to me.

The Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) seems to like it here. 

Here is an image of the wife of the guy from the earlier picture.  She's sticking her tongue out at him saying, "I told you to so!"

The kid in the back seat saying, "I'm tired and thirsty!  Can we please stop for a drink?"

The Amorphophallus titanum  gets larger each time I visit.  I'm sure they'll make a big stink about it in the paper when it blooms.  (Get it, cause the huge bloom emits a strong fragrance  reminiscent of rotting flesh.)

My koi at home are moving rather slowly these days now that the weather is cold but these lucky beauties are active year round in their nicely heated environment.

This pond seems a little shallow but the fish don't seem to mind.  I always admire the beautiful long fins of butterfly koi.

What Seattle (home of the original Starbucks store) area conservatory would be complete without a coffee plant?

So, when do you pick them and how do you roast them?  Who thought of doing that to this berry in the first place?

More orchids.  The conservatory is run by Tacoma's Metro Parks which has huge greenhouses across town where plants get to grow throughout the year.  Only when they begin to bloom are they brought to the conservatory for the public to enjoy.  What fun it would be to make these living arrangements!

 

 

As Danger says, "There's always an Agave."  Although there is an interesting blurb about the native habitat of the plant, etc.  it's called a Century Plant which is a lovely common name but I sort of wondered if it was Agave americana or something else.

 

In case you want to take home a pup from the pound. 

 

What a treat to have summer just a few minutes from my house no matter how cold and wet it gets outside.