Monday, August 31, 2009

Remembering good food






Waffle trials--attempts to recreate this Strasbourg waffle--begin this week. If I can find the waffle iron. And if I don't start crying at the lack of cheap excellent chocolate.

A Kick-Ass Holy Lady




Sketch of Francisco de Zurbaran's Sainte Engracia, in Strasbourg's museum.

He is one of my most recent and beloved loves, seen first in Strasbourg. I saw his Saint Francois in Lyon, and (I believe) another of his intense women on loan in the Orsay.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Denver Botanical Gardens Part II










































My old friend scabiosa. (Specifically scabiosa caucasia, variety 'Deep waters'.)










































Eryngium giganteum, whose common name--no joke--is "Miss Willmott's Ghost."


















Salvia pachyphylla, called Mojave Sage and native to California, Arizona, and Nevada.

























In the garden's "Perennial Walk", posing not just with the flowers and the hedge but ALSO with the Big Red Crane behind me, which I decided I want to learn how to operate.















Any trip to Denver means stopping at Sakura Square and our beloved Oriental Food Market.

They're not flowers, but if I could catalogue my childhood, each of these would have a Latin and common name.

Monday, August 24, 2009

The Denver Botanical Gardens


























Unidentified hanging purple flower, in the Tropical Conservatory.










































Clematis smilacifolia
(That means it's related to your tame garden clematis, and is also part of the buttercup family!)


My old friend salvia! Salvia greggi, variety 'Furman's red'.
























CORRECTION: Emily FAILS once again at reading labels! (Though one might also say that the DBGardens failed at clear labeling.) This is apparently not Galium odoratum at all but Anemone! Specific species name unknown. All apologies where due.






















Nelumbo nucifera
a.k.a. lotus!