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| Fall Flower Show |
The air temperature in the Conservatory reflected the
freezing temperature outside. The North
Garden and the Palm Dome were warm, but the Sunken Garden and the Bonsai areas
were very cool.
Despite the cool temps, there were some interesting things
to see today. In the Sunken Garden, a
new flower show has started! This is the
Fall Flower Show and it includes some chrysanthemum varieties, ornamental
grasses, and cute little ornamental pepper plants. It is garnished with swiss chard plantings
throughout the room. The aroma is not as
strong as with the summer flower show, but there is still a nice smell in the
room.
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| Arabian Coffee Plant-Recently Pruned |
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| Pruned Panama Rubber Tree |
In the North Garden, I noticed that the gardners have been
busy pruning many of the plants. I’m
dismayed to see that they hacked away at the top part of the beautiful coffee
plants – the branches with all of the coffee beans, no less! They cut back part of the Star Fruit tree (Averrhoa carambola), but left some of
the star fruit for visitors to see. They also trimmed off the trunk section of
the Panama rubber tree (Castilla elastica)
that had died. Oh well, I know they’ll keep growing. These are good things to do to help more
light get to the understory plants.
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| Star Fruit Tree |
The plant for day is the pineapple (Ananas comosus). The
pineapple, besides being delicious, is the most widely cultivated bromeliad in
the world. It is a herbacious perennial.
Short stiff leaves surround the apex of the plant stem, eventually becoming the
crown of the pineapple. Pineapple is
eaten all around the world. It is
canned, candied, juiced, eaten fresh or even fermented into a liquid for
consumption. Within pineapple fruit
there is a protein eating enzyme called bromelain that has multiple uses – to tenderize
meat, chill proof beer, tan leather and stabilize latex paint.
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| Pineapple |
For more information
(all websites accessed October 21, 2013):
