Hi everyone! I hadn't been down to Selby in a few years and we're getting our last taste of spring weather so I decided to go visit. Now, first I have to inform everyone of the American Horticultural Society's Reciprocal Admission Program. If you're a member of a botanical garden that belongs to the program, you can often get in free and get other perks when you visit another botanical garden in the network. In my case, I have a family membership to USF Botanical Gardens. Using my USF card gets me in free to Selby. Adult admission to Selby is $19 so that is quite a savings! For more info on the program, visit the website: http://www.ahs.org/gardening-p...

FYI, I'm going to break this tour into several posts as I took 868 pictures! And I can't do that all at once - I might break the site or my computer!

You can visit the website for Selby at www.selby.org for more information. But to give you a brief rundown, Selby is located right on the waters of Sarasota Bay. They're known for their research of bromeliads and orchids. They grow a lot of tropical plants and Florida natives. I'm going to post the photos mostly in the order I walked around, but here's a few general shots I took to give you an idea of the setting.



This is the new kid's rain forest area.



These are some of the nice homes across from Selby. As you can see boating is popular here. While I was on this side of the garden, I saw and heard a boat tour go by. The tour guide was pointing out an osprey nest inside the garden.



All right, with that out of the way, let me tell you a bit about my process. I take a picture of the plant, and then I take a picture of the name tag. I'm just going to post the plant and type what was on the tag. A few of the tags had typos so forgive me as I'm just going to copy them. I posted all the plants I could to the Plant Database and in some cases Selby is using synonyms. There's also some hybrids, particularly orchids, that I couldn't put in the database since they're not listed so you'll only see them here!

After showing my card and getting a map, my first stop was the bathroom. And along the way to the bathrooms are lots of Cycads. So that's mostly what we're going to see first. There's also a cart set up in this area staffed with a volunteer who can answer questions. Guided tours are also offered, but I'm a wanderer.

Ceratozamia hildae



Dioon spinulosum



Ceratozamia microstrobila



Ceratozamia robusta



Dioon edule



Dioon mejiae



Anthurium crassinervium



Microcycas calocoma. The nice volunteer told me the one on the left is female and the one on the right is male. I also took a picture of the female's cone which was huge!



Encephalartos hildebrandtii



Now, I started wandering toward the greenhouse. But there were a few things along the way. Like this Hoya pubicalyx.



Disclosure: I am a bromeliad addict. So we're gonna see a lot of those. This is Vriesea neoglutinosa.



No name on this beauty.



Aechmea nudicaulis is one of the smaller Aechmeas, but grown in mass, it packs a big punch!



Next, there is a small bonsai exhibit provided by a local club. I always think it's neat how they can grow what would be giant trees in little specimens. This first one is Ilex vomitoria 'Schilling's Dwarf', commonly known as Schilling's Dwarf Holly.



Chloroleucon tortum, Brazilian Rain Tree. There were two of them.



Ficus traingularis, or Triangle Fig.



Bougainvillea are really popular here, and it's neat to see one in bonsai form. Bougainvillea glabra



There were also two Ficus salicaria, or Willow Leaf Fig.



Taxodium distichum, or Bald Cypress.



Bucida spinosum, also known as Dwarf Black Olive or Ming Tree



Ficus microcarpa, or Cuban Laurel Fig



Next to the Bonsai was a small grouping of Adenium, or what I know as Desert Rose. This is Adenium 'Harry Potter'



Adenium arabicum



Adenium obesum (#72 x 'Dark Red Edge')



Adenium 'Taiwan Red'



Adenium Chang Daeng



Adenium Chao Saow



Adenium somalense 'Nova'




It's way past my bedtime so I'm going to break for now. Next up is my favorite part - the conservatory! Bromeliads, orchids, and things I can't identify! Also, you'll get to hear about my run-in with a volunteer. Does Melanie get in trouble? Find out soon!

Okay, I went to a Daylily show and the USF Botanical Gardens today and I'm operating on very little sleep. So I'm just going to keep posting until I fall asleep and my head hits the keyboard and hits the "finished" button.

Now, the Selby conservatory isn't really big, but they pack it well. And there are all these signs telling you not to touch the plants. There are no signs like that in the gardens, but there are plenty of them in the conservatory. But since my method involves taking pictures of the name tags, sometimes I have to turn the plant so I can see the tag. And sometimes I reach right in the plant and pull it out. I was doing that very thing to a bromeliad when I heard a voice behind me say, "That's a smart thing to do." And it was one of the volunteers! I totally thought I was busted until what she said sunk in. The key is to just act confident like you totally know what you're doing. I was all, "Yeah, this is my methodology so I know what plant I have a photo of." And I was worried about getting kicked out. Let's go into the conservatory!

Ansellia africana



Elaphogossum herminieri



Microsorum punctatum var. serratum. Some kind of Elkhorn Fern.



Strongylodon macrobotrys. Jade vine. This one got a lot of attention.



Nepenthes truncata



Nepenthes ampullaria



Phragmipedium longifolium



Vanda tessellata



Encyclia borincana



Myrmecophila tibicinis



Epidendrum Belmont



Encyclia cordigera



Coryanthes macrantha



Chysis cf. laevis



Chysis aurea (the photo is blurry, but I think that's what the tag says)



Maxillaria variabilis



Encyclia randii x E. tampensis alba



Tillandsia multicaulis



Chysis violacea



Coelogyne lactea 'Sylvia'



Oncidium sphacelatum



Guzmania 'Alii'



Aechmea woronowii. I want to run away with this plant. It's pretty big though; it would be awkward to carry and I'd get caught.



Aechmea penduliflora



Vanda Kultana Gold x Ascocenda Thai Spot. I think all Ascocendas are Vandas now.



Ascocenda Jukkich Gold. Or Vanda. Whatever, these blooms are HUGE!



Dorstenia choconiana



Oncidium sp.



Gongora latibasis



Aeschynanthus hartleyi



Myrmecophila humboldtii



Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis



Anthurium fendleri



Anthurium wendlingeri



Anthurium eminens var. nov.



Hydnophytum moseleyanum. Ant plant.



Dendrobrium Gatton Sunray



Epidendrum ilense



Lycaste xytriophora



Encyclia osmantha



Maxillaria tenuifolia



Encyclia alata



Okay, I'm getting nervous I'm going to accidentally close this window so let's post and continue in the next installment!

I spent about five hours total at Selby and about an hour of that was in the conservatory alone. So let's keep looking!

Lycaste x cobanii



Lycaste macrophylla ssp. measursiana



Osa pulchra. I had to get low to take photos of the flower and I wasn't sure if I was going to make it back up!



Encyclia bractescens



Stelis superbiens. The stems that hold the flowers each have two rows of flowers. It's so cool. And the color is gorgeous.



Ascocentrum miniatum



Brassidium Longlen 'Bill Switzer'



Ascocenda Duang Porn



Typhonium trilobatum



Oncidium Sharry Baby



Aechmea pubescens



Tolumnia bahamensis



Cattleya tigrina



Aechmea zebrina



Anthurium consobrinum



Cattleya skinneri cv. Danae



Cattleya walkeriana 'Manhattan Blue'



Dendrobium farmeri



Cattleya gaskelliana



Cattleya skinneri 'Albescens'



Myrmecophila aff. brysiana



Phragmipedium X Grande cv. macrochillum



Phragmipedium Sorcerer's Apprentice possibly x Phrag. caudatum. Seriously, that's what the tag says.



Odontoglossum hastilabium x Oncidium hastatum 'Pam'



Phrag. lindleyanum x dalessandroi



Begonia kisuluana



Paphiopedilum X Claire de Lune cv. Edgard van Belle



Paphiopedilum Cecelia Devinex Satchel Paige 'Frank's Choice'



Epidendrum anceps



Some happy Guzmania growing in a cluster.



Guzmania squarrosa x Guzmania blassii



Paphiopedilum Toni Semple



We made it through the conservatory. And my eyelid is starting to twitch so I'm going to bed. I'll be back tomorrow to show you guys what I saw outside!

Let's wander around outside, shall we?

Zamia vazquezii



Encephalartos ferox



Zamia pumila



Feijoa sellowiana, Pineapple Guava



Alcantarea odorata



Hyophorbe lagenicaulis, Bottle Palm



Neoregelia carcharodon



Malpighia glabra, Wild Cherry



Neoregelia carcharodon 'Silver'



Assorted bromeliads with no tags





Neoregelia johannis



Aechmea perforata. These things were as tall as me!



Neoregelia correia-araujoi



Artocarpus nitidus ssp. lingnanensis, Kwai Muk



Coccothrinax barbadensis, Silver Palm



Sabal rosei



Alcantarea sp.



A few more bromeliads with no tags.



Copernicia prunifera, Carnauba Wax Palm



Ambrosia hispida, Coastal Ragweed



Ceratozamia norstogii



Encephalartos horridus



Dioon merolae



Musa velutina



Nephrolepsis exaltata 'Emina'



Araucaria heterophylla



Gossypium hirsutum, Upland Cotton



A Mourning Dove walked right by me so I took its picture. I bet the guests feed the birds.



There were plenty of Monarchs flying around but I only found one caterpillar.



Zebra Longwing (the official Florida state butterfly) on one of the Wild Coffees.



Some kind of duck. That's about all I've got.



Rapanea punctata, Mysrine. There was a lot of this growing around.



Citharexylum fruticosum, Fiddlewood



Taxodium distichum, Bald Cypress



Ardisia escallonioides, Marlberry



Yucca aloifolia, Spanish Bayonet



Borrichia frutescens, Sea Oxeye Daisy



Conocarpus erectus, Buttonwood



Black Crowned Night Heron



Psychotria nervosa, Wild Coffee



Canella winterana, Cinnamon Bark



Stachytarpheta caatingensis



I spot a Polydamas Swallowtail laying eggs on pipevine. But also look how much pollen is on her wings! I've never seen that before.



Probably a Monk Skipper and bee on porterweed.



Orthosiphon sp., Cat's Whiskers



Clerodendrum speciosissimum, Glory Bower



Begonia odorata



Pimenta racemosa, Bay Rum Tree



Artemesia arborescens 'Powis Castle', Wormwood



Lawsonia inermis, Henna



Coffea arabica, Coffee



Mangifera indica 'Nam Doc Mai'



Averrhoa carambola 'Kary', Starfruit

Wow lots of pictures to enjoy,..you have great patience to share so many with us and i for one enjoyed them all,..thank you for sharing.

You're most welcome! I have more but my computer is going in for repair. I'm using Mom's now so no access to the rest of my pictures.

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. I felt like I was there.

Wow, can't believe I missed this one. You did a great job, Melanie. Just wanted to add a few I took at Selby a couple of weeks ago, and note to all: This garden has something different every time you go, so don't feel as if you've "seen it all" if you visit once! I'm a member and go at least once a month, sometimes more often if I have visitors. My membership gets me in free, and my friends get in for $5.

They change the displays in the conservatory all the time, as you can see by the different orchids in my pictures from what Melanie showed in May. There's always something different blooming in the gardens, too.

Melanie, did you get a picture of the big oak tree with dozens of Bromeliads and orchids growing in it? It changes all the time, too.


Pink Medinilla and so many Vanda Pachara Delight in dramatic blue! They had a blues concert in the garden that day.




This is a gigantic mobile with hanging plants on it, tillandsias and bromeliads and orchids, Oh My!


On weekends they have an artist painting kids' faces. Her work was so beautiful I'd have a lot of trouble washing it off if it were my kid's face. The little girl in the striped dress had a unicorn all down one side of her face.

Ooh, it looks like they have some new stuff there! I know they were redoing the conservatory and had it closed for a week or two earlier this year. Now that the weather is mostly pleasant again, I need to go back down there. I've never been in the fall!

Awesome pictures,..i love those trees with so many plants living on them

wow

Well, I was there again last Saturday with some visitors, and although January is a bit of a "slow month" for blooms it still was just lovely. They have a vast collection of orchids so they change out the display in the greenhouse to show off the ones that are blooming. (wish I had enough orchids to do that . . . I usually have two or three bloomers)

Statue with bromeliads at the entrance to the gardens. Koi pond (me and my brother). Lots of big koi.


Golden chalice vine - the flower was 20ft. up so this is the best we could get. Wish mine would bloom! Thunbergia, a nice big planting blooming well.


Lots of wonderful bromeliads




The egret let us walk almost right up to him, he's used to people obviously. He was hunting geckos in a border of bromeliads and he caught one while we were watching.




Hundreds of gorgeous, fragrant orchids! Will just post a few here, with a funny story - second picture is a Dendrobium I've seen many times and could never quite recall what it reminded me of - my brother's girlfriend who is not a plant person but is a foodie, (great cook) said "Hm. those look just like deep fried calamari to me." Oh yeah!!

And their orchid festival is starting soon! On Facebook, they said they would have over 2,000 orchids on display! Does kind of seem like an odd time for that, even in Florida. I wonder if they can cram 2,000 orchids into the conservatory?

Elaine,..lovely pictures,..i like those Bromeliads and the indoor shots,..not forgetting the Egret shot

Hope you enjoyed the trip

Thanks, Philip and it's not a long trip for me since I live in Sarasota and am a member at Selby. I go there often, dragging any victims who come to visit us.

Melanie, maybe they didn't mean 2000 different types of orchids? Or maybe not all at once? Lots of those orchids are teeny tiny things with hundreds of flowers per stem, so it's easy for them to justify saying they'll have 2000 orchids . . . although I do think they'll have some displayed out on the grounds as well as in the glass house providing the weather is warm enough. The Orchid Festival also goes for something like 6 weeks, so that may help them reach that magnificent total.

Here's the info page: http://selby.org/events/event/...