Oxfords Botanic Gardens (picture heavy)

One of my favourite ways to pass an hour or three is to pop into the botanic gardens in Oxford. It is the oldest botanic garden in the UK, and as such is a little limited in space. But with a season ticket costing just £12 it is excellent value!

The highlight of any season here comes in May in the Lily House - Stronglodon macrobotrys.

Strongylodon Macrobotrys 1 by longk48, on Flickr



Strongylodon Macrobotrys by longk48, on Flickr

(as the photos don't do it justice on here, the links below the photos are to the relevant flickr shots).

If I ever won the lottery, this is the plant that I would blow a lot of money trying to grow!

Another of my favourite plants is Thunbergia mysorensis..........

Thunbergia Mysorensis by longk48, on Flickr

This grows in the indoor walkway as you enter the glasshouses, and has a very long flowering season.

Two from the outdoor garden that I would love to track down some seeds for - Salvia oxyphora...............


..............and Salvia confertifolia.......................


Back to the glasshouses, this time the carnivorous house. Nepenthes spectabilis..........

Nepenthes spectabilis by longk48, on Flickr

One of the best things about a season ticket is getting to see the ever changing display of pot grown plants. This is Stenoglottis longifolia, a South African terrestrial orchid........

Stenoglottis longifolia by longk48, on Flickr

That'll do for now - I'll add to this later.

 

Great Shot's Longk and I have to agree, Strongylodon macrobotrys is an absolutely stunning plant

And can I just thank you from the bottom of my heart for re-sizing your photo's after reading title I had a heart stopping moment of thinking I was going to have to resize tens of photo's and then repost the images in the correct order:D

 

Thanks!
I'm getting my head around posting photos now!! Although I do have an issue getting the BB code from my album, but that is not a big deal.

 

Feel free to PM me any time if there's something you want help with, that's why were here

 

Used to go there often when my wife (then girlfriend) was at uni, but I'm sure there wasn't any charge then (over 20 years ago), and what I remember most is eating our lunch beside the Cherwell and feeding the ducks.

 

Marley - if you've never seen the Blue Jade Vine then May is the time to go! Outdoors is bursting into life then too, and the Iris bed is usually a picture.

Scrungee - it's £3 (or £3.50) for a day ticket, so not dear anyway. When I go with Sue in the summer, I quite often pop out and grab a "take out" from a cracking Greek deli five minutes walk away up the Cowley Road. Can't say that I'm all that duck friendly though!!!

 

Those plants are all stunning.

 

Plenty more to come!

 

Thanks for the walkabout longk. Fascinating photos

 

You're welcome Capney!

 

My season ticket was up for renewal, and as I was in Oxford today it seemed churlish not to do it in person armed with my camera!
It really was a flying visit, but fourteen quid for a year means that I can do these twenty minute flyers!

First thing that caught my eye in the porch area was an orchid that I've rather fancied buying - Pterostylis (curta)


Also in the porch area was Fritillaria bucharica



Moving to the carnivorous house I found Heliamphora nutans in bloom.


The Lily house was closed for maintenance, so the next stop was the Palm house.
Strelitzia nicolai was given a huge chop last year, but between my last visit and now it has bloomed. The bloom was about three metres up and a little past its best.


Finally, two from the passageway between the various houses.
Iris japonica.............


......and Callistemon viminalis

 

Hi folks.

I visited this place maybe 10 years ago? I can't remember TOO much about it, but I DO remember how tranquil it was. Very nicely laid out and quite a haven, given it's location. Definately worth a visit

 

If you're ever going to re-visit, mid to late May is the time. Just to see the Strongylodon in bloom!

I've edited the first post to show the photos which went missing in the forum change.

 

Yeah, the Stronglodon macrobotrys is really quite a stunner. When I get a chance, I must go back sometime, but there are so many places....