Monday, March 16, 2015

San Diego's Balboa Park

Our time in San Diego was short, only three full days to explore the city. Rather than running around trying to see it all we decided to take it slow and spend two of those days exploring Balboa Park together (I spent the 3rd day at the San Diego Botanic Garden, of course). At 1,200 acres and with 17 museums, 19 gardens, a zoo, performing arts buildings, and on and on...there was plenty to see.

This year the park celebrates it's 100-year anniversary. The name dates back to the city being host to the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, and was chosen in honor of "Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, the first European to spot the Pacific Ocean while on exploration in Panama." Read more of the history of the park here, and the 100-year anniversary celebration here.

Andrew was not a fan of the Spanish-Renaissance style buildings constructed for the exposition, I liked them. They complimented the plants!

The gardens we explored were the Palm Canyon, Old Cactus Garden, Australian Garden, the Lath House and the Desert Garden. We also visited the Zoo, the Museum of Photographic ArtsSan Diego Museum of Man, and wandered through the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages.

Look bananas!

The Museum of Man is located under the California Tower, in the domed California Building...

Inside the museum there was an exhibit on agave fashions throughout the ages (haha, kidding).

Not as slick as my tweezers and hemostat but looks like it would certainly keep your fingers prickle-free.

The starburst tile design on the dome copies a design on the dome of Santa Prisca Church in Taxco de Alarcón, in the southern state of Guerrero, Mexico. Translated the inscription reads: "A land of wheat and barley, and vines, and fig-trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey."

This is a Ficus macrophylla, commonly known as the Moreton Bay fig. No doubt the fence around the tree is an attempt to keep vandals away, as you'll see in future posts the destruction of plants seems to be a popular local pastime.

It's over 100 years old now...

Pretty darn impressive...

The sign reads San Diego Botanical Garden Foundation / San Diego Floral Association.

My sister-in-law is from Colombia, she and my brother keep trying to get Andrew and I to vacation there with them. I really wanted to see what was in in their botanical library, sadly they were not open during our visit.

Okay, time to wander through the Palm Canyon. A majestic Bismarckia nobilis guards the entry.

Thankfully I could get up close and check out the impressive base of this fig.

Earlier in the week, before we arrived, there had been a destructive rain-storm pass through. I'm so glad we missed it!

I think this is a Caryota obtusa?

Conveniently the Palm Canyon leads right to the Old Cactus Garden, and that's where we'll pick back up tomorrow!

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

34 comments:

  1. That old fig tree is marvelous, with its roots snaking across the ground. I'm so disappointed to read about the plant vandalism. Boo to that (or worse words.)

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    1. Indeed Alison, worse words are called for.

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  2. Palm Canyon looks amazing! Those ratty banana leaves are why I gardened for so many years before finally planing some Musa basjoo. Blech.

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    1. Ya, there is some benefit to living in a climate where leaves like that are naturally replaced each year.

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  3. A bit of tropical paradise not far from PDX. I must remember this next time we need a vacation.

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    1. Seriously! It's a quick jaunt and other than a ridiculously long wait at the rental car pick-up pretty painless as far as air travel goes.

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  4. Wow, did they made those spanish style buildings and gardens just for the exposition?
    Oh I hope you´ll go some day to Colombia with your brother and sister-in-law, I´d love to see your pictures from there!

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    1. Yes! Crazy huh? But of course they're still in use.

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  5. Wish I'd known you were heading to San Diego, but it sounds like you had limited time there anyway. An artist friend owns an art gallery with attached community garden and she lives right by Balboa Park. You guys would've loved her!

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    1. Ah, that sounds like it would have been fun to visit. But, yes...it was a quick trip. Next time!

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  6. Love the fig tree. The old tools and agave thread shoes are cool as well.

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    1. It's a fun place to visit, if you ever find yourself in the states.

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  7. That old fig is amazing but I'm glad you got to explore the roots of the younger one as they're stunning! I have plant lust for a Bismarkia nobilis but they're just not happy here. Oh well, we can't have everything! I'm with you on the buildings!

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    1. But maybe in your greenhouse???

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    2. If it's happy, it would get awfully big there.

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  8. I'm sorry to admit that, although I live just a couple of hours away now, I've never visited San Diego's botanic garden. All my trips down that way have involved either business or visits to the zoo or wild animal park. Maybe when the weather cools, I'll get my husband to take a trip down that way for a "proper" visit.

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    1. Do it! Although do keep in mind the Botanic Garden is well north of town and not connected to Balboa Park. Both are lovely!

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  9. The timing of your post is perfect! We'll be in San Diego next week, and I plan to retrace your steps :-).

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    1. Oh good! I was afraid you were already there and going to miss this teaser!

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  10. Every time you take us to San Diego, I kick myself for failing to appreciate it when I lived right on the edge of Balboa Park. Oh, well...

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    1. Oh, lucky you! I think I would be in horticultural heaven. Everything seems to grow there.

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  11. As a young child living in the San Diego suburbs, I loved Balboa Park. The fake Spanish architecture just added to the feeling that you were somewhere very special. We played for hours in the gardens and on the lawns there. Maybe being there that early in life is the genesis of my love for warm climate gardening. You make me long for a revisit - I'm going to enjoy this series!

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    1. Isn't it fabulous that all that goodness is there to enjoy free 24/7/365? I love that even as a kid you knew it was special.

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  12. Those fig trees...! If I were a kid, I'd have a treehouse under construction up there in a New York minute. And I love the quote on the dome. Given our drought, it kills me that the preceding verse [yep, Bible, King James Version] says, "For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills." CA has about a year of water left, says NASA :~/

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    1. Ha, yes...what a wonderful tree house you could build! Ugh. That quote, so incongruent with the current reality. I saw that 1-yr prediction too, pretty darn scary.

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  13. Fun post DG -- The colors of the tile work is so vivid!

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    1. Must be the San Diego air...

      As I recall we were on this adventure while I was reading about your families trek into Arizona.

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  14. That first shot is a beauty!
    I come from the area where M.B. Figs are native and they truly are the most magnificent, magical trees, straight out of a story-book.

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    1. It's wonderful to hear that someone who experiences them as natives also loves them!

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  15. There's so much to see in just one park, how cool! A few people have said to us before that there's so much to do in San Diego alone and your post reiterates that once again. And you'll have to seriously consider going to Colombia so you can share your pics with us :))

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    1. Oh gosh indeed. I think you could spend a couple of weeks in San Diego and not run out of things to do.

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  16. That is such a wonderful resource for San Diego. The courtyard is where the CSS shows are held. Thanks for the tour--many bits there I have not seen.

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  17. The roots on that Moreton Fig remind me of a pile of lizards lazing around.

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  18. Columbia, just do it!!!! Did you see Karl Gercen's (Longwood Gardens Karl) photos?

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