Almost one year ago today, I wrote a blog post on a beautiful Handroanthus impetiginosus that I found in flower while on a mountain bike ride. This time, while driving out to a small nursery to buy my Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony‘, I ran across this gorgeous Handroanthus chrysotricha in full bloom. It is worthy of its own blog post. Handroanthus chrysotricha is…
When there is little information available on a plant, especially relating to cultivation in your area, the only way to learn more about it is to simply plant it. This was just the case with my Strophanthus boivinii. As anyone who regularly reads my blog knows, I am a big fan of Malagasy plants. When looking over the…
The Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula) is one of the most widely planted flowering trees in the world. You will find it growing throughout tropical and subtropical regions, mostly as an ornamental shade or street tree. It is a very fast grower in tropical climates, reaching sizes to 60 feet, but most commonly found growing to heights of…
A garden without fragrance is really no garden at all. After all, how can you create something made for the senses but leave out interest dedicated to the sense of smell? There is literally an endless supply of fragrant plants to choose from, so adding aroma to any garden should be easy. But believe it or not,…
My wife wanted to do something different from our yearly routine this 4th of July weekend. I told her that if she wanted to plan something, I would temporarily relinquish my role as the Family Event Coordinator. So what does she plan for her first family trip with the new title? Palm Desert. In the middle of July! Not sure…
This post is a continuation of last week’s Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden tour. As promised, I will now focus on the amazing plants of Nong Nooch. I mentioned last week that I had taken over 400 photos during my visit. With great effort I was able to filer that amount down to 40 for this post….
When the wife and I knew that we would be going to Thailand to celebrate our ten-year wedding anniversary, I immediately began working on her to include a quick side trip to the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden. The palm tree lover in me could never be forgiven if I missed the Mecca of palm tree botanical gardens. A visit…
Back in November I posted about a tree (Acacia leucophloea) that stood out to me while on my travels through Myanmar. In this week’s post I will introduce you to a tree that has done the same for me while in Thailand. That tree is Dipterocarpus alatus, commonly known in Thailand as the “Yaang Naa Tree.” What…