23 Jan 2007: Cambridge Univ. Botanic Gardens

The Glasshouse Plant of the Month;
Mom under the monkey puzzle tree
M* and I had busy evenings with classes and work, so our last meal together with Mom was a lunch of GF pizza. After the prep, the eating and the clean-up, the sun was tracking low in the sky.

Mom and I did manage to get our couple miles of walking in though. She notices the slightest variation in trees and plants. She'll stop and ask me, "What type of succulent is this," and I can only answer, "What's a succulent again?" So, she was excited to visit the Cambridge University Botanic Gardens: "A 40 acre oasis of beautifully landscaped gardens and glasshouses right in the heart of the city."

While the grounds are beautiful, they will be more inviting when the weather is warmer and plants are flowering. It will be a great place to bring a book and relax for hours--there are a couple of ponds next to which I can picture laying a blanket.

The indoor exhibits were not as impressive as some others we had visited, and a number of greenhouses were under construction and not accessible. The Bird of Paradise, which are all over California, was the Glasshouse Plant of the Month.