More UCSC Beauty Shots

 Above, Banksia speciosa

Perhaps the soothing effects of botanical beauty will help ease the worry and anxiety many of us are feeling in advance of this coming Tuesday's election.

Hakea clavata, with butterfly
 Banksia with Anna's Hummingbird
 Erica gilva
 Correa 'Inglewood Gold'
 Banksia speciosa
 It's a very large shrub.

 Banksia media, strange but photogenic
 The tiny flowers of a dainty plant, Astartea fascicularis
 The glow of a Leucadedron
 Banksia victoriae
 Silky Leucadendron argentea
 Correa
 Correa
Junonia coenia, Common Buckeye butterfly, enjoying a...a...Leptospermum?
 Feel any better?

Comments

  1. Oh, you are single handedly breaking down my resistance to Banksia. That Hakea is beautiful too and I now regret putting one back on the shelf on my last visit to the Australian Natives Nursery.

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    1. There are some petite Banksia shrubs, and the Dryandra group seems particularly attractive. Hakea laurina...so many plants, so little space!

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  2. Thank you yes, I do feel better. Now to avoid the news all day and hold that peaceful feeling.

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    1. Hold on tight--it's going to be a bumpy ride! :(

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  3. Yes, much better. Thank you ... :-)

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    1. Thank you!

      Last night we watched "Hunt for the Wilderpeople", a sweet, funny movie that took our minds off Tuesday--what a relief it was.

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  4. any chance of sharing one of beloved's photos with my widows group? we're partial to butterflies...thanks...

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    1. Sure, go right ahead. What is that butterfly, anyway? I could not find a name for it. The arboretum was full of them. Here the Painted Ladies continue to mob Gomphrena 'Fireworks' along with one or two of a large Sulfur(?) type.

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  5. That last one does the trick. Thanks.

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    1. Here, yesterday, digging up and repairing a leaking irrigation pipe, a tedious and miserable job, was a welcome distraction. The magic of the garden! :)

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  6. Yes, it did make me feel better, thank you for the nice distraction. And it made me want a Banksia very badly. But I know I won't be able to resist checking FiveThirtyEight's election map at least three times a day until it's over.

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    1. You have a stronger stomach than I at this point. We may "dodge a bullet", but I fear the metaphorical bullet will ricochet.

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    2. Yeah, when in Sweden this past winter, my friends asked what I thought about this Trump person. I told them that I thought he would delete himself through all the stupid things he kept saying. God - I was so very wrong... At this point, I'll take even a ricocheting bullet, as long as Hillary makes it through alright. Fingers and toes crossed for Tuesday.

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    3. The rest of the world thinks we have gone insane. They may be right. This acrimony must end, for everyone's sake.

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  7. Beautiful photos. Soothing indeed. I long for peace and quiet, too. I ended up going to the Ruth Bancroft Garden today with a friend. It was so relaxing.

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    1. The well drilling is all done then? Hooray! Anything good from the plant store come home with you? :)

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    2. Yes, the drilling is done although the infernal machine was still parked there. All I bought was an Aloe karasbergensis.

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    3. The stripes on the leaves of that species are so cool!

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  8. beautiful photos Hoov ! I feel better already.

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  9. Splendid photos of some really amazing plants -- but I have to say that staring at even my own little garden helps. Maybe this crazy country just needs more gardens, ya think?

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  10. I'm no butterfly expert, but I think that's some kind of buckeye. I've been looking at a lot of pictures as part of putting together lists of butterfly plants, both caterpillar-food and nectar-from-early-to-late-season plants. Doing this as distraction, education (my herb garden club's theme this year is pollinators), and preparation for winter plant orders. Though winter's still coming on pretty slowly -- first time in living memory that there was no frost in October (finally happened last Saturday morning). Still no hard freeze in sight.

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    1. Thanks! "Winter" such as we have is slow here also--near 90F for the next three days. Sigh.

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  11. Oh, Banksia, how I love thee. Correa is a new love with a better chance of being requited. We're kind of political junkies, so we needed this more than most. Thanks you.

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    1. Correa like some shade here, so probably happier where you are. I got 'Carmine Bells' recently, and it needs protection from the heat.

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