Little Saigon

Falls Church, VA, August 29, 2009: We had a late lunch at the Huong-Viet in the Eden Center, the mostly Vietnamese Asian shopping center in Seven Corners and wondered through the bakeries and groceries and other shops.

The Eden Center flies the flag of the former South Vietnam and features a clock tower that is a replica of the "symbol of Saigon," the clock tower at Bến Thành Market in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in downtown Saigon:

We also toured the Smithsonian traveling exhibition: Exit Saigon, Enter Little Saigon about Vietnamese immigration since 1975.

Thank You See You Soon

Baltimore's Victorian Conservatory

Baltimore, MD, August 23, 2009: One of Baltimore's better kept secrets is the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens in Druid Hill Park. The conservatory is operated by the City of Baltimore with the assistance of The Baltimore Conservatory Association. The conservatory is anchored by the 1888 Palm House and also includes an Orchid Room, a Mediterranean House, Tropical House and Desert House.

Although Baltimore has big plans to expand this facility, the present conservatory is quite nice. The horticulture is varied and well marked and the facility is big enough to be interesting without being overwhelming.

The Palm House:
The Fiji fan palm and a sago palm:













Torch ginger and Brazilian plume plant:













An arrowroot and Zebra plant:









The Orchid Room features orchids and also bromeliads:









The Mediterranean House has beds for each of the 5 Mediterranean climates around the world--the Mediterranean, California, Chile, South Africa and Australia:
A shoestring acacia and a common olive













Globe amaranth and a Zowie Yellow Flame zinnia:









The Tropical House:

Plumeria:










A banana and the blossoms of a papaya:













Chenille plant and a shell ginger:













Bird of paradise:

Koi and a slider:












The Tropicana canna and another Canna:
















Passiflora coccinea and a ginger:









The Desert House:
Polka Dot Cactus and Cinnamon Cactus a/k/a Blind Prickly Pear:









Agave Americana 'americana' and Agave Americana 'variegata':









Rose Cactus and Monadenium magnificum:









Opuntia ficus-indica and Alluaudia procera:









Old Man of the Andes and Opuntia dillenii"









Outside there are 35 flowerbeds in a 1.5 acre garden:
Taro (l) and swiss chard with coleus:









Butterfly on verbena and butterfly on lantana:









An 1892 sun dial:
Insect on sedum and bee on lavender: