I spent several mornings photographing at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland this summer and fall. When I head to Brookside, I never know what I’m going to find in bloom. Two flower I photographed recently got their common names from animals. Both were growing in the Fragrance Garden area at Brookside.
The first of the flowers is Leonotis Leonurus – commonly known as Lion’s Ears or Lion’s Tails. The only way to describe the Lion’s Ear flowers is that they are clusters of orange fuzzy flowers!
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
A few minutes after finding the Lion’s Ears – I looked up and saw some purple and white spiral flowers growing in clusters on a vines on the gazebo. It turns out they were Vigna Caracalla – commonly known as snail flowers.
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
You make me want to get to brookside! nice shots Patty
Very nice shots. Love the depth and clarity.
When I lived in New York, we’d go to the Planting Fields Arboretum, which may be similar to this place. It had huge greenhouses filled with orchids and other plants that you wouldn’t expect to find on Long Island. These photos make me miss that place. Maybe I need a trip to the Desert Botanical Gardens one day soon.
Patty,
Thanks for sharing your pictures. My daughters and I love them
Hi Patty,
Beautiful shots! The snail flower (or better known as the “climbing shell plant”) was one of Thomas Jefferson’s favorites. I grew them several years up a trellis in our front yard. They’re really unique flowers. I bought them from springhill.com.