Friday, May 13, 2016

The Ventura Botanical Gardens

What yesterday's post lacked in photos, today's more than makes up for...it's going to be a long one folks, buckle up...

More than anywhere we visited in Southern California last December the (under development) Ventura Botanical Gardens really illustrated just what havoc the lack of rain is causing.

This site greeted me after parking. Crispy palm fronds and toasted agave arms...

I walked up the path opposite the main trail, just to get a little perspective. Off in the foggy distance are the Channel Islands.

That's where I'm headed.

Chilean Wine Palm, Jubaea chilensis, donated by Arthur Cook and Brian Nolan. As I think was the second one we'll see in a bit. I wonder if they also hauled water until it was established?

It was only because I was scanning the dry ground for things of interest that I noticed these desiccated Aloes.

There were many. Pups from a long dead mother?

Perhaps.

Here's the second palm.

And what looks to be a fairly comfortable seat, although I didn't stop to try it out.

I did wish I had water to share though.

I'm not sure how I got this photo of an empty trail, it was about 11:30 am on Christmas Eve. There were lots of people out enjoying the day.

Islands in the distance, and Opuntia blocking the view of Ventura below.

The professional educational signage gives a glimpse of what's to come.

Although what's here now is clearly suffering.

Signs like this ("DO NOT TOUCH THE PLANTS") always make me wonder what happened that required the signage?

On a clear day I bet you can see for miles.

Not that there's anything wrong with the cloudy/foggy view.

My back to the ocean here's the trail ahead.

Volunteer Schinus molle?

I found myself trying to figure out what this was.

Then I discovered a pair of still alive specimens, still don't know.

This is my final look at this part of the trail...

Before jumping ahead up to "The Cross" in Grant Park proper. As I parked and got out of the car the lady on the right was cajoling the pair on the left (jogging by) to stop and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus, after all as I mentioned it was December 24th. The same scene played out over and over again as I wandered I heard new voices...

Dry dry dry...

Although this guy looked to be doing okay.

And these too...

Not so here. Somebody's been hungry (or thirsty?)...

Stupid stupid.

And what the??? Mulch gone crazy? Or someone stepped on this poor guy?

There were others.

And this. A teenage drinking game?

I'd like to throw those responsible down there, naked! No wait, that might hurt the innocent plants.

Time to circle around back toward the car...and pass near the point of religous coercion. Luckily I met up with a couple doing the same thing We helped each other travel down below the cross and up on the other side.

Which is where I spotted another group of sad Agaves.

No surface left uncarved!

A look off in the distance at the sun and the ocean helped to calm me before I got behind the wheel.

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

26 comments:

  1. Lots of pictures, yes! But so sad.

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  2. Truly sad and depressing. But it probably looks different already after the winter and spring rains. Succulents recover amazingly quickly when the conditions are right.

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    1. Yes, indeed they do. Hopefully the area got enough rain to really make a difference.

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  3. The Cross is where we went as teenagers to drink and make out. It's notorious. I mean for other teenagers. Not me, of course. Hey Loree, you know where you need to go next time you're down there? Visit the Channel Islands via Island Packers out of Ventura. Hiking around San Miguel or Anacapa there are are plants that grow nowhere else but here. I need to get back there soon!

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    1. HA! Not you, of course. Thank you for the recommendation, I would love do get out there, sounds lovely. So did you grow up in Ventura?

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    2. I grew up in Camarillo. Born and raised Ventura County. I miss the purple mountains, the hills that smelled like butterscotch, Matilija Creek, and the beaches. The orchards are mostly gone, but I loved them, and the scent of avocados or citrus in bloom is the scent of my childhood. I love seeing your visits to Ventura County. :)

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  4. OMG this really drives home the severity of California's drought and the stupidity of the vandals. Idiots. "I'd like to throw those responsible down there, naked!" Kinky. They say it's always the quiet ones...

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  5. Oh this was just painful. Ow ow owwwwwwww. I can tell you some of that damage is desperate rabbits eating the succulents for the water content. At least rabbits don't carve their d-mn names into them.

    It really hurt to look at these photos--must have been even more painful in person.

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    1. Yes, I figured the Agave attenuata especially was a thirst quencher...and it did. Stressed out and dying plants hurt.

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  6. I don't understand the mentality behind feeling the need to carve someone's name or inscriptions on plants, hmmm...

    Lots of 'oh my's' there, so dry that even xerophytes are are suffering greatly

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    1. Right? It has to be alcohol fueled teenage angst.

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  7. When I read the "my back to the ocean..." caption for that one photo, I got a powerful memory of the Pacific. It's been a long time since I've actually felt/smelled it. Sigh. Do wish we could see what the rains have done to perk things up here...

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    1. Although I live a mere 100 or so miles from the Pacific I don't make it out there as often as I would like. Now you've got me yearning for it.

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  8. It's been 3 years since I was there. It appears that they've added some more plants, although not the number I'd have expected within that period. I wonder if they're largely dependent on rain to get new plants established and, if so, El Nino's non-presence in SoCal must have been an especially difficult blow. I don't remember seeing desecrated plants all over the place when I was there either - that's a sad development.

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    1. See Alan's comment above. If you find yourself anywhere near here (maybe a trip to Jo's Australian nursery?) we'd love an update on how things are looking after what rain did fall.

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  9. On a tour of the Taft I spoke with a woman who was involved in the Ventura Bot. Garden and said I could followup with her on its status, and I never did. I may be misremembering, but I think there's some synergy with Jo's nursery, the Taft, and the bot. garden as far as plants. I really should hunt down her name and call her!

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    1. There is a planned Australian section, so maybe that's it? And yes...hunt and call!

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  10. Oh gosh, yes, painful in so many ways. I noticed similar graffiti on Agaves at Balboa Park's Desert Garden in San Diego. It made me want to cry. It wasn't quite so bad is this, however. The combination of the drought and the human destruction is very sad.

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    1. Yes Balboa was horrible with plant abuse. Such a beautiful place, open to all, and the plants pay.

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  11. I have been following the progress (or lack there-of)here for a couple years, and wanted to visit on my next journey to the area.Lack of water is one thing and under-funding is another. Unless they charge entry I fear the plant vandalism will continue.

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    1. I hope you do manage a visit soon Kathy, I'd love to keep track of the progress (or lack there of, as you note).

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  12. So sad to see a garden under so much drought stress and human-activity stress.

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  13. What a sad outing that must have been. As if the damage inflicted by Mother Nature weren’t enough. Destruction like that is just beyond my comprehension. Hope the are recovering after some rain.

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  14. After seeing this post I will stop complaining about gray skies and rain. What a desperate situation, one I hope has been alleviated. As to the little bastards that carve their name on agaves, perhaps they should spend a week singing happy birthday with the insanely devout, after which they may willingly throw their own naked selves down a prickly slope.

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