Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Let’s drop by the Huntington, disoriented

I began this series "let's drop by the Huntington," because I wanted to start chipping away at the hundreds of Huntington Garden photos from my December visit, but I was frustrated by updates to the blogger platform that made uploading photos much harder. Since then the software issues have gotten a little better, Google has made some changes—improvements to their update. In fact it seems like every time I go to do something blog-related there is a change, it's very disorienting...

Which brings me to this next set of images from the Huntington. I knew the entrance had been completely redone, so I was anticipating that. But there were other changes too, for starters there seemed to be a spaceship to the left of the rill... 

That was a little disorienting. Walking on I saw the big clump of bamboo that—for me—had marked the beginning of the garden. It was still there, but the plants around it had changed. I remember (and who  knows if that memory is correct) lawn and one large swooping pathway. Now there were smaller pathways and more agaves, obviously this was not a bad thing, just a little disorienting.

Before I took a closer look at the agaves though, I thought went to check out the spaceship. Reading this sign I remembered a post one of my blogger friends did about this installation. That was ages ago though, I never dreamed it would still be here.

The satellite sounds were interesting, but I found it even more fascinating to check out the plant shapes through the perforations in the metal walls. Inside...

Outside...

Inside...

Outside...

Those aloes were gorgeous.

Such a clear, bright color.

Encephalartos some something. I want to pick this up and take it home, so cute!

Another stunning aloe...

This shot confirmed what I suspected, that there was still work being done in this area. I loved the juxtaposition of the well worn wheelbarrow parked in this world-class garden.


Time to check out those new (to me) agave plantings.


Oh my. That white chalk-line ran right over several choice plants.

On second thought maybe this wasn't a new planting after all. Perhaps the renovations meant some of these are coming out? (and when will I get to go back and see for myself!...)

Damn, I do love a nice round Agave victoriae-reginae...


And that's a stunning Agave applanata 'Cream Spike' (or is it? now I'm questioning myself)


I love it when I get to see a bloomed out agave that's formed bulbils to replace the flowers.

I think this is an Agave macroacantha.

Soon to be a lot of Agave macroacantha.

Stay on the paths! Ah...now I get it. The big bamboo clump I mentioned above (shown below) used to suffer from folks carving their initials in the culms. Now you don't walk right by it any longer, and their's a row of spiky cycads to deter exploring. Hopefully it won't be an issue. Hopefully. 

And now that I see the row of nodding Agave attenuata bloom spikes under the palm trees in the distance my sense of place is reoriented and I know that's the path into the desert garden. Time to go explore!

Weather Diary, July 20: Hi 93, Low 63/ Precip 0 

All material © 2009-2020 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

17 comments:

  1. When I originally saw the Orbit Pavilion, I understood that it was temporary as it had traveled about the country. Apparently sometime afterwards, they decided to keep it at The Huntington. I wish I'd thought to try shooting pics of the plants outside from inside.

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  2. I jumped back to the Huntington post from June to refresh my memory: a truly gorgeous botanical garden. On their site they offer "evening strolls"... it sounds heavenly.
    I wonder if the cycads, including the cute one you were ready to walk off with, were really that blue. I've seen green ones before, but that dusty hue is very nice.

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  3. I am glad to know I am not the only one finding the changes in Blogger difficult. I threw up my hands the last time I tried to do a blog post. Maybe I will try it again.
    Absolutely admire all of these plants you have highlighted especially that agave with the big honking bloom spike rising out of it. WOW

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    1. Some of the things I found the most irritating when I first tried the new blogger have been fixed. I'm not saying it's great now, but better. Someone has been paying attention to our complaints!

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  4. Gotta wonder what the thrill in carving ones initials into trees and plants is. To me it's just plain vandalism. My little shoulder devil would laugh if someone trying got stabbed by a spine instead.

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  5. I LOVE this garden, and their cacti/succulent collection is truly exceptional. Heck, the whole garden is!

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    1. Many visits and I still haven't seen the whole garden. Maybe someday...

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    2. And with the ongoing additions and renovations, every couple years it is a whole new garden!

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  6. I'm still in old blogger world for some reason-I guess I should be grateful. I hope that the world will have improved by spring 2021 for a Santa Barbara trip with a zoom into the Huntington day. I didn't know there was a reno going on -it will make it seem new again !

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    1. The last time I switched back to "legacy blogger" I saw a pop-up that gave a date in August for the phasing out completely of that version. So, your day is coming...

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  7. You probably noticed the big Aloe barberae are all gone--at the end of their lifespan, rotted after 100 years of growth. That was a big change. They did plant new baby ones...

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  8. I am SO overdue for a visit to the Huntington! I can't visit or see photos of Huntington's bamboo grove without thinking of Ben, who used play "Tarzan" with his brothers there as a child. Just imagine three little stair-step boys (Ben no doubt in the lead) tearing around the bamboo grove in the mid-60s. Still makes me chuckle.

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    1. Lucky Ben to have a place like the Huntington to enjoy at a young age. No carving I hope?

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