Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Heart of Flame

We have a zoo membership to the local zoo and as much as I love the antics of the animals and listening to the keeper chats (seriously, Cyra can give her own keeper chats about the bald eagles and has, on many occasion, corrected zoo visitors she overhears talking about the eagles. Obnoxious, yes. But also so freaking cute).

But the zoo is also a botanical garden and every spring the gardens burst with such fantastic colors and flowers, I often spend more time taking photographs of the flora rather than the fauna.

This past weekend, the girls and I went to the zoo with Cyra's Girl Scout troop. Ashleigh and I lagged behind quite a bit and often got sidetracked which happened to be a very good thing because otherwise I would never have found this:

This is a Heart of Flame. It is a South American flower which is weird because it was planted in the Africa section of the zoo.
And it is so very orange!


As a new gardener, I am finding that I am more fascinated than I ever was by flowers. And I must have one. Or three. Or twelve. They make me smile all over my face they are so bright and orange and cheerful! And also slightly pointy and spiny.

12 comments:

  1. I LOVE flowers and always have at least two bunches of flowers in my home. I want to plant some birds of paradise outside my door. They are my favorite.

    I really like those hearts of flame too. I'd never seen them before.

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    1. Birds of paradise are really beautiful. Those would be great flanking an entrance.

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  2. I have never seen this flower before but it looks pretty.

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  3. How strange, and wonderful!

    Though, it looks like it may eat people. Don't get too close. Just in case.

    Hugs!

    Valerie

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    1. It does doesn't it. Maybe that's why I like it so much. It looks dangerous!

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  4. Replies
    1. And it was big too! The span of the leaves was at least three feet across.

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  5. That's great. I don't know how you remember all that stuff about it. I can barely remember my own name and place of origin.

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    1. Is that why you just go with Pickleope? Easier to remember? Actually, I only remembered the name of it and then I looked it up when I got home.

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  6. *I* want some of those flowers. I love flamingos, and for some reason, those remind me of flamingos...I'm weird, and also a gardener. We're zone 5 here in CO, so I'm thinking probably no chance...
    Thanks for your sweet comment on my poem. Also making my rounds to the A-Z folks on the road trip, very nice to see your place.
    Post A-Z Road trip!

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    1. As much as I dislike the hot hotness that is Florida...I do have to admit, I like the tropical flowers and foods that are grown here...and the long - nearly year round - growing season.

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