This week’s WordPress photo challenge is ‘Variations on a theme.’ One of my first thoughts was orchids. It’s a family of flowers that is constantly changing as one plant is crossed with another to produce something a little different. So this is a collage of some orchids I’ve photographed at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.
For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.
Another post based on the theme of this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge, which is ‘Silence.’
I like to visit Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden a few times a year. The last time I was there, I got the last spot in the parking lot and expected to spend the morning elbowing my way through crowds. Imagine my surprise when I set out on the path into the garden and found it deserted. No one going down ahead of me, no one puffing their way up either. For a few minutes it was just me and a profusion of tropical plants, one of which was this Billbergia pyramidalis.
Billbergia pyramidalis is a bromeliad, also known as ‘Flaming torch.’ I wonder why?
For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.
This plant, with the splendid foliage, is Pilea Mollis or Pilea involucrata and is a member of the Urticaceae or nettle family. It hails from the West Indies and is also known as the friendship plant because it easily propagates from cuttings.
Lily Lake, in the grounds of Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, is a tranquil spot which I particularly enjoy for the reflections it provides. On my last visit, the koi in the lake made an appearance and added to the spectacle. As I moved back and forth, on the walkway alongside the lake, the koi followed, clearly hoping I was about to throw a little food their way.
For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.
In Hawaii, plants grow year-round so there is no ‘spring’ where the first new growth sprouts from the ground. But there are still seasons, times when certain plants come into bloom and then seed. This is one of several reasons why I like revisiting Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, north of Hilo. There’s always something new to see by visiting at different times of year.
On my most recent visit, I found this orchid, Zygonisia Cynosure ‘Blue Birds,’ blooming. It is, apparently, about as close as it gets to a blue orchid. It does have a certain ethereal quality about it.
For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.
This week’s WordPress photo challenge theme is ‘serene,’ and I thought I’d use that as my prompt for the next few posts.
First up are the Onomea Waterfalls at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden north of Hilo. Here, the falls are full with winter rains. In the summer the flow is less. It’s a beautiful, calm setting and, while it’s a popular spot with visitors to the garden, an early arrival should ensure maximum serenity.
For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.
This Phalaenopsis Minho Princess orchid was one of many varieties of orchid that can be found at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden north of Hilo on the east side of the Big Island. For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.
The cannonball tree (Couroupita guianensis) is pretty distinctive. It sprouts pink or red flowers the length of its trunk and follows them with woody, round fruits that give the tree its name. This one was at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.
For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.
Graham's Island 