Devonian Gardens Calgary

The Devonian Gardens in Calgary have been undergoing a facelift for some time.  They just reopened last week and are located downtown in The CORE shopping centre (essentially a big mall).  They are on the fourth level right beside the food court and will provide a much needed oasis during Calgary's cold winters.  I took a bunch of photos, so I hope you enjoy the virtual tour below.

Operation Relocation - Day 5 - Saskatoon to Edmonton to Jasper

The original plan for today was to go to Edmonton and stay there for the night.  You can see from our route today that we ended up in Jasper.  I think this may have been the most eventful day of my life!

Once again, we spent most of our journey under clouds.  As we continued driving we started to notice accumulated snow on the ground.

Camellia Ann O & Billbergia nutans

I've already uploaded some photos of this Camellia before but this flower was a bit different.  I'm not sure if this happens as it ages but there is a gradient from lighter petals at the centre to darker petals towards the edges.



I have been trying to get a good photo of this Billbergia for weeks.  I took thirty different photos in all different modes and this is the best one.  My camera just does not want to photograph this plant.  I think it may be some ancient feud because I have never had so much trouble taking a picture of a plant before.  Any ways, without further ado here are the true flowers of Billbergia nutans.

Billbergia nutans Buds

I posted about this bromeliad a few days ago.  It was correctly identified by mr_subjunctive.  I've been trying to get a good picture of the true flowers opened, but keep missing them.  Fortunately there are several, all in different stages of bloom, so I've still got a chance.  I'm only going into work about once a week now because my school work has really picked up.  I'll keep trying and as soon as I get it I'll be sure to update!

UPDATE:  I finally managed to get a picture of the flowers open.  I took three but they all turned out incredibly grainy and looked aweful.  I decided they were too bad to post but will keep an eye on the plant.

Billbergia nutans (Bromeliad)

A lot of plants have started flowering in the greenhouses.  I'm assuming it's due to decrease in day length because interior temperatures are controlled.  I'm not sure what the name of this bromeliad is and would really appreciate it if someone could help me out.

Last of Summer in the Greenhouse

I'm finished working in the greenhouses for the summer so these are just some of the random pictures that I had left.  I may be able to work here again during the school year.  It all depends on whether or not they approve me.  Regardless I'll continue to update with my experiences.

Malpighia coccigera (Dwarf Holly, another of my favourites, dotted with little pink spheres for weeks which then burst into bloom)

Two mid-sized Musa plants

Large Coffee tree (I harvested the seeds from this one)

Unknown brown bromeliad

Chamaedorea lower trunk and roots

Second last view of the tropical room

Last view of the tropical room

Tropical Room

The largest room in the greenhouse complex is the Tropical Room. Not all plants are tropical but for the most part it is really lush, warm and humid. I've uploaded a bunch of pictures along with some short descriptions. The picture above is the view as you first walk in.

First off we have a small fish pond near the entrance to the room. It's filled with gold fish and koi as well as some aquatic plants.

This section of the room is filled primarily with bromeliads. You can also see some chinese evergreen and epiphytes hanging from above.

In this picture you can see three large pots filled with Clivia. It's one of my favourite greenhouse plants.

Here you can see the extent of the plant growth.

This is the cacti and succulent corner of the tropical room. The large cactus in the back grows up to and along the greenhouse roof.

This is the epiphyte section located above the fish pond.

You can see the stem of a large vine growing over the door opening. This vine covers the entire side of the greenhouse.