San Diego Botanic Garden used to be called Quail Botanical Gardens. The name was changed a few years ago, but I still think of it as Quail Gardens. When we were there, a man told us there are now actual quail running around the gardens, but there weren’t any before the name change. We didn’t see any of the birds, but we did find some great-looking plants:
I don’t know how many types of succulents there are, but I have a feeling most of them are in this garden.
I’ve grown calla lilies before (they grow like weeds in California) but never saw this much green on the petals.
All these years I thought passion flowers were only purplish blue.
Giant Dutchman’s Pipe is rather strange-looking, isn’t it?
The garden has a cool lookout
where you can see the ocean and feel the sea breezes:
On the walkway to the lookout you’ll encounter these yellow beauties:
I love the riotous colors in the blooms of this bromeliad.
That old standby, heliotrope, is for sale in the garden shop.
How great is the patina on this?
I was so surprised to see African tulip trees like the ones in Hawaii, because I’ve never seen them anywhere else in San Diego.
These are a little redder than the blossoms in Maui, and the yellow border is more pronounced.
The botanic garden is pretty big, so I’ll be taking more photos in the future.
Hope your week’s going well so far. . . .
{carole}
Pearls & Prose 
I love Botanic gardens. I try to visit them when I’m in a new city if they are known to have a special one.
It looks like this one is really nice. I couldn’t even pick a favourite photo. I like African tulips a lot.
But the one above, the amphora with the patina is great too.
I visit them everywhere whenever possible, Caroline. So many photo ops.
Thank you for supplying the word “amphora”! I could not come up with it for the life of me last night. I knew “urn” and “pot” were wrong, so I left it vague. 🙂
I’m almost dizzy I’m so dazzled by this array, Carole …
Awww, thanks, Cheryl!
Breathtaking!
Thank you so much! The garden was really lovely that day.
Beautiful photos, I love the red in the last one. I keep meaning to get down to our ‘Eden Project’ in Cornwall as I too love botanical gardens!
Thank you. Cornwall is somewhere I’d love to go one day.
Beautiful!
I love seeing the fauna from the West Coast. There are so many varieties that we don’t see often around here.
I find the succulents fascinating. I always think of the old cactus but there are really many shapes and shades of green.
The first photograph looks much like a certain alien landscape in the original Star Trek television series. The variety therein is very impressive. Also, the bromeliad (very colorful indeed, how wonderful you were in a positioin to capture it) reminds me very much of the vegetation on a different alien planet in the Star Trek series. Maybe they took their inspiration for some of the sets from Quail Gardens?
Nonetheless, great work, Ms. Pearl — I am so impressed by your work. I trust you enjoyed your day at the gardens.
How in the world did I never visit this place. I lived two hours away when I was a kid, and yet didn’t go. What a beautiful place and great photos. Now, I’m a little homesick, but in a good way. It’s good to remember your roots.