gonzo

Being raised in the area I am guilty of taking these gardens for granted, but I popped in for a quick hour and snapped some pics to share. The Selby Foundation was established decades back to collect and conserve tropical plants from all over the globe, and in addition they have quite a research department.

I adore the way the acerage is laid out. You wander through a lush jungle environment that is always the perfect humidity for all the epiphytes (orchids, bromeliads, etc.) that grow there because the land sits right on Sarasota (Fl.) Bay.

This will take several pages of posting, so be patient with me?


One of my favorite palms.


A close up of it's bloom.


One of the many waterfalls. Darned overcast day!


They have imported statuary incorporated here and there.


A close up of the detail. (This one's in a grotto)


Vanilla planifola (The orchid flower vanilla beans come from)


A pretty little bromeliad growing in a bunch.


Dendrobium lindleyi orchid (species- non hybrid)

Cont...

gonzo

Next, the Coy pond. (These fish are old and HUGE. The pics are misleading. They're maybe 18" long?)


I can't get the whole thing in one shot..


There's a bench across from it that's a great seat.


I suck at shooting fish underwater, lol.




They place fresh flowers on Buddha daily.


I love this lil mermaid statue.

Next on the path is the biggest Ficus I've ever seen...
cont..

Veronica

Beautiful pictures. It is a shame that we take our own backyard for granted.

gonzo

Yet another plant I can't fit into one shot...Ficus (one plant-3 sides):







In summer it's hard to walk under this sucker. The path gets buried in berries.

Let's stroll through more jungle, shall we? *G*


A huge Bombax tree


I had a tourist hold one of it's flowers so I could give you a size relationship.


Floss silk tree aka Monkey Puzzle tree (Yes, those are thorns.)

Next I'll head toward more rainforest stuff...

gonzo

Have a seat under the Austrailian Tree Ferns.


I tried counting the species of orchids and bromelids on this oak and gave up.


I have NO idea what this is?


Another palm in fruit.


This guy is everywhere! :P

gonzo

Am I the only plant freak on this board? Any Brugmansia growers here?


The largest brugmansia (Angel Trumpet) I've ever seen.


A pretty Cattleya.


Brassia-cattleya hybrid.


A red Phalaenopsis orchid.


Paphiopedilum orchid.

gonzo

A beautiful Anthurium in bloom.


Getting the drift of what they look like in the jungle?


Cacao tree with immature pod. (Chocolate)


A very old (read large) Papaya...see the fruit? No?
Next pic..




A ginger in bloom.


A Pitcher Plant. (So touchy they have to be greenhoused.)

gonzo

Thanks! We sure do, but I'm changing. *G* I can't wait for Spring here, and all the blossoms.

gonzo

I just got back from Sarasota, and I went to Selby again. This orchid is a trip!!!




Gee, I wonder why they named this bromeliad (air plant) "Tillandsia funckiana"?



Dunno what it is, but it's pretty... (A ginger, I think?)

gonzo

I grew up on Tampa Bay spending more time on salt water than anywhere else. When you're hungry as a kid you grab what's available, lol. I ate a lot of sea grapes. (Seriously, it's a large mangrove like tree around salt water that fruits. We'd make jelly out of 'em too) This is an immature cluster of sea grapes at Selby...



I should KNOW the name of this, but I'm tired from the drive. It's in their cactus garden... (I left the Palm in for size comparison).



A close up of its flower...



Blurry, but so am I, lol.