Vancouver Aquarium Amazon birdhouse

Recently I had the opportunity for a day of fun at the Vancouver Aquarium.  While it doesn't have much to do with gardening, they have a really fun birds of the Amazon exhibit inside a tropical inspired solarium.  And while most people hate the heat and humidity of this section of the exhibit, I truly felt I was at home.  There's something wonderful about opening the doors to that wave of moist hot air. I might be one of a very small group of people who likes that, but seeing as the rest of the aquarium was air conditioned to an extreme degree, I was all the more happy.

They have an amazing collection of butterflies that live in amongst the jungle foliage.  They are always fun.  If you're lucky - or a butterfly whisperer as in the case of my niece - they will choose you as a perch.

I love the way they have made it look wild in here. Fitting with one of my most favourite statements: "it's a jungle out there!"

But most of all, I was smitten with all the bromeliads hanging in the trees! I am becoming such a bromeliad fan.  Not that I didn't love them before, but rather, I am loving them even more than ever.

And of course they would have beautiful tillandsias.  This one looks so green and healthy.

One of the many birds...  I was more interested in protecting myself from bird poop than looking at the birds themselves.  This one seemed to be looking at me right after pooping on someone's head, "you're next!" (Yes, I am mildly terrified of birds)

Yes, I need some bromeliads!

And so ending my journey through the birdhouse I thought I would share a goodbye photo from Second Beach.  Because lets be honest, I can't go to the aquarium without meandering down to the beach!!!!

Epic tree ferns!

So If you've been following my misadventures over the last few months you would know that I stumbled upon these beauties not too long ago in Vancouver.  So when I was in town the other weekend I had to stop by.  I actually could not control myself.  The mystery location is right by the jj bean at Alberni and Bute (which I might say is serving up the best coffee in Van - IMHO).  Anyways, I was considering how I could include them in my English Bay or Sunset posts and I decided... no, they are EPIC enough to get their very own shout out!  So I apologize for the redundancy, but I really loove tree ferns.

I think part of the reason I had to go back was in attempt to truly capture the grandeur and size of these guys.  Which once again I feel has evaded me.  Tree ferns are hard to capture!!  What I did find quite wonderful were the little white globe lights that hang from the tops of the trunks and make them look like coconuts! Just me?

There are few plants that I find quite as stunning.  The drama of their fronds is second to none.  I am always overwhelmed by the sheer size of them.  Are you seeing the coconuts yet?

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the drama as much as I do! And remember, feed your dicksonia fish fertilizer!

ramblings of a beach boy

To me, summer nights are nothing shy of magical!  Is it worth the wait, the anticipation?  Yes.  I don't even have the words.  But on nights like this, I can't help but feel pure an complete joy.  It's like those moments in life where you wish you could hit pause.  You wish the moment could never be taken from you.  And if you're me, you wish summer will never end.  But at the same time, something about the fleeting makes it all the more special.  It makes each moment with that warm sunshine on your cheeks precious.

I love when the world is all aglow like this.

Palm trees and warm sunlight are especially magical.

Sometimes on warm evenings like this, I pretend I'm on vacation.  It reminds me of how living summertime is not just about the calendar but a state of mind.

Summer is the most special state of mind.  It demands we stop and soak it all up.

No matter what fall, winter or spring throw at me, they'll never take the summer loving, palm tree hugging, ice cream licking euphoria out of a beach boy!

English Bay, Vancouver

The downtown west end of Vancouver is one of the palmiest places around!  So it's no surprise that I spend much of my spare time soaking up the sun and the palmy sights.  But its not all palms.  There are just great gardens in general in this part of town.  I call it my secret spot - not so secret - but I find parking at the tennis courts in Stanley Park provides the best starting out point to take the palm tree grand circle tour.  So, when I found myself meeting friends downtown last Saturday evening, I most certainly did a mini palm tour!!

I consider this the enchanted pathway that leeds to my palm mecca.  Just looking at this picture makes me giddy with anticipation.

This home, which I often refer to as "mine," has such a stunning garden.  Imagine what you could do with this space!  One day when I win the lottery - I suppose I should buy a ticket instead of believing the winning ticket will fall from the sky - it will be mine.

here's some yucca love along the way.  These yuccas always look pristine.

And from this angle I like it even more!!! I feel as though I share an affinity with the people of this complex.  Would it not bring you so much joy to be greeted by this every single day on your way home?

And can I just say, this summer weather is EPIC! People are sooo much happier - including myself! Ahhh, just take it in.  And of course, grab an ice cream or two if you need a cool down.  I have an even better idea... ice cream, and then coffee and then another ice cream.  (And preferably get coconut falvour in order to keep with the festivities of summer)

Back to the palm tour: As you make your way towards English Bay you are greeted with palm grove number 1...

These are the parents of two palms in my garden.  If you look down into that euphorbia you will find hundreds of baby palm seedlings!! It always takes great will power not to harvest some.  But seeing as I was meeting people for dinner I was able to control myself.

Check out all those beautiful palm seeds!!!

Another angle reveals just how many palms are in this grove. I LOVE IT!

moving on we find grove #2...  Much smaller in scale but still quite wonderful.

I suppose you might be wondering ... does he really have every single planting numbered off?  And I would have to answer that with an incredibly ecstatic, "there are too many to count!!"

I love acanthus mollis blooms!!! In fact the trachycarpus and acanthus mollis combination could be one of my personal favourites.

And of course they would have one of my beloved cordyline red sensation!

Speaking of cordylines... check out these green ones!  They might not look like it, but these things towered over my head.  I always have to pinch myself when I'm in English Bay. Like, is this for reals? Because it certainly seems to good to be true.  And that being said, these pictures don't even do it justice.

Oh and it just keeps getting better! See that tree on top of that apartment building?  It is a landmark showing the height of the old growth forest that used to go throughout where current day Metro Vancouver sits! Crazy, eh?

I love palm groupings like this.  It's ultra lush!

These palms were planted last winter at the new English Bay Cactus Club.  They seem to have settled into place just fine.

And it's not just regular trachycarpus fortunei, check out these awesome trachycarpus wagnerianus palms! I plan on collecting some pollen from these in the years to come to do some trachycarpus fortunei x wagnerianus hybrids.

Here are some of the chamaerops humilis that came through the winter 2008 fiasco. They certainly took some damage but appear to have made a nice recovery over the last few years.

Tomorrow I'll share more shots with the evening glow and sunset.  I hope you enjoyed palmy English Bay!!!!