Flora of Disney, Part 2

I'm not an expert on southwestern plants. I don't know all the different agaves, and I certainly can't tell you the names of most of these succulents. I just know I love them. I have brought some home to Minnesota with me, and I grow them in containers, and try to make sure they don't get too cold or too wet, and I do pretty well. But, given my lack of knowledge, for this second and final part of the Flora of Disney posts, I'll just let the pictures do the talking! If you are visiting there soon, all of these planters are near or in the Mexican restaurant. Enjoy!

 No plants in this picture, just a super cute bird on a super pretty birdbath.

 We were some of the last people having dinner at the Mexican restaurant, so it was pretty empty. My mom and I love all these lanterns!

Flora of Disney, Part One

I admit, I have an addiction to plants. Not just shopping for them, and planting them; not just caring for them, doting on them, and maybe even talking to them. I am also addicted to appreciating them. I truly get forlorn and withdrawn when I'm away from plants for too long. I'll even admit, I'd rather live among plants than people. Sure, I value the human connection, but plants are a lot easier to get along with. Most people don't understand this, only furthering my love for plants.

So when Disneyland had us waiting for rides, or disconnected from our group, waiting for them to get off rides, I remembered just how awesome their landscaping is, and set out to entertain myself. I took a TON of pictures, so this will be a two part entry for your viewing pleasure.

First up: the entrance to the haunted mansion- I've blogged about this garden before, I'm sure. It is shade garden, mostly, and they've used plants to evoke a spooky feel. The gravewayrd here includes moss, heuchera, coleus, and more. I love the colors, statues.

Perhaps my favorite part of Disney is that outside of a sweeper or ride wrangler, you never see anyone working. I thought it was fun to think of whomever planted this, and whomever tends to it, having to do so at night, when the park is closed.

The whole haunted garden makes me want to change up all the colors in my front yard for Halloween, and pray frost/snow holds off long enough for me to interplant headstones among my very own heuchera.

I also found a few treasures on the island; this azalea was blooming:

And I love this ferny plant along this stream.

The highlight of Disneyland landscaping is the Disneyland rose. I grow this one in my own garden. It is a stunner! This planter bed was in the New Orleans section:

I could not believe how many people just passed right by it...

Near the Mexican restaurant there are a some stunning bougainvillea. This orange is my favorite, and I've grown it in my own garden for a number of years, of course in a container that spends winter in the basement.

How cute are these birdhouses in the roof of the loading dock for the Jungle Cruise!

My mom loves this purple trumpet vine, so I made sure to get pictures of it for her. I also showed where she could find it at her local nursery so she could eventually get one of her own. These pictures were taken near the tiki room.

 They have this violet vine paired with a stunning magenta bougainvillea. Very nice.

And I suppose you can't talk about gardens at Disneyland without showing the mass of tropical they have encircling the tree house! So beautiful.

 Part two will be mostly succulents, for your viewing pleasure. Can't wait!

Where I get my green thumb.

This April we visited my mom and grandma, who live together in southern California in the closest place I have to a childhood home. The whole visit was so fulfilling. There's something soothing about having endless downtime just sitting on the patio I played Barbies on nearly every day of my childhood. I didn't take out my make-up bag the whole visit. I didn't work in the yard (with my mom and brother's girlfriend working on the garden, there were NO weeds to pull). We all brought the kids to hot spots, including Disneyland and Legoland, but mostly we hung out, and ate great food. It was relaxing, and vacation-like. :) The best part? My mom and grandma's gardens have meshed once more, and that meant so many roses- that happened to be in FULL bloom. Heavenly timing, if you ask me! Here are my best shots from the visit:

 I love this succulent planter! I brought my mom sedum 'angelina' years ago, and she's paired it with some euphorbia, sedum burro's tail, ghost plant, paddle plant, a fuzzy echeveria (I think) and more... in the perfect rusty white metal basket. I should have snatched this whole thing up and brought it home. lol.
 
 How amazing is Cecile Brunner in full bloom? Wonderful enough that I wanted to sleep outside on the side of the house. Instead I brought in a vase full for the Easter table.

 Some of this kalanchoe came home with me.

 I also broke off some pieces of this medusa plant, and the kangaroo paw... and later grandma sent my son Benjamin the baby cactus in here.

 More roses, surely some of the one's I learned to prune on as a child.

 And nothing says home like bougainvillea.

More roses...

Lovely, lovely trip.