Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: Craig on March 30, 2009, 10:24:40 PM

Title: Cambridge Botanic Gardens
Post by: Craig on March 30, 2009, 10:24:40 PM

Had a great trip to Cambridge Botanic Gardens yesterday followed by a very pleasant but totally unsuccessful search for Pulsatilla vulgaris on nearby Therfield Heath (too early perhaps-Primulas were still only in bud)
Lots of lovely Alpines doing their thing, which I totally failed to capture in photos :-[
Stars of the show were these two Legumes:Calliandra haematophala from Bolivia with tennis ball sized powderpuff blooms & the Jade Vine Strongylodon macrobotrys. Once inside this tunnel of surreal beauty, I really didn't want to come home!
But first a shot of the lovely little parasite Lathraea clandestina, living up to its name by poking its little heads above ground & pretending to be a Semiaquilegia ;)

Title: Re: Cambridge Botanic Gardens
Post by: Maggi Young on March 30, 2009, 10:49:31 PM

You could hardly have gone for three more contrasting plants in those photos if you tried, Craig :D
Miraculous variations... no wonder we are all hooked! 8)

Title: Re: Cambridge Botanic Gardens
Post by: Brian Ellis on March 31, 2009, 10:00:24 AM

Craig it is good to see that the Jade Vine has got into full flower, when we were there

http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3064.msg74773#msg74773

there was only one in full bloom but the Calliandra was also out, they both give a good long display don't they 8)