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!

Legoland Plants

Remember the Cecille Bruner roses (from my mom and grandma's garden) I brought in for the Easter table? Here they are. So perfect.

 So, while in California we brought my lego-loving boys to Legoland for the first time. None of us had ever been there, so it was a very fun trip for us. While in line for rides we enjoyed the succulent landscaping and lizards (unable to get a good picture). My son loves cacti and succulents and when he grows up he wants to live somewhere he can plant cacti in the ground. He loved this!

 I thought the way legoland incorporated legos into the landscape was super cool. There are trout made entirely of legos swimming through this water!

And a beaver:

 In the huge area dedicated to full reconstruction of towns I found the use of mini plants simply awesome. Look at these mini trees by the eiffel tower. Cool!

 Look at all these trees in "San Francisco!"

Las Vegas:

 Southern California:

 This farm land was awesome!

In the Star Wars area they used these conifers to create a woodland area. My kids loved this part!

What's more magical than a bunch of aeoniums?

 Or a tunnel of vines?

 Hansel and Gretel's story...

 Or my favorite? A castle topped with so many Cecille Bruner roses the scent just knocked my socks off.

Anyone would have to admit, without the plants, all the lego scenes wouldn't have been nearly as realistic, or cool. So very cool! I hope you enjoyed it!

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.