Rome Botanic Gardens

[ashley]

Here are some pictures from the Orto Botanico in Rome, taken earlier this week.  They are in no particular order but just reflect a few plants and views that caught my eye as we wandered. 

The gardens lie on the western slopes of the Tiber valley, between Trastevere & the Vatican, and cover about 12 ha.  They were originally part of the grounds of the nearby Palazzo Corsini but in the nineteenth century passed to the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’ and are now managed by the Department of Plant Biology.

Collection of xerophytes beneath deodar cedars, including opuntias, puyas, aloes, agaves, yuccas, etc..

Succulents in the Corsini Greenhouse:
Aloe albiflora from Madagascar (in flower) among various other spp.
Astrophytum spp.
Gymnocalcium spp.
(Cactus) Leuchtenbergia principis from Mexico
Pachypodium densiflorum from Madagascar
Various Madagascan Euphorbia spp.
Part of the cactus collection

[ashley]

Some more, mostly from the grounds:

View along the ‘Viale delle palme’, showing part of the extensive palm collection
Pandanus detail
Phyllostachys spp. (x2).  The bamboo collection is also extensive.
Sternbergia lutea & Allium lusitanicum in the Mediterranean Garden
Oxalis purpurata
Duranta erecta from Central America & the Caribbean, widely planted in tropical and sub-tropical areas but weedy in Australia, South Africa, etc.
A Datura with curious ‘hose-in-hose’ flowers
Zelkova sinica
Zelkova bark

[ashley]

Finally a few pictures from the Japanese Garden:

Bridge flanked by acers
Acer palmatum
More autumn colour.  I don’t recognise this small tree.  Any suggestions?

The Orto Botanico is a lovely and peaceful place to wander.  Parts seem relatively under-maintained, for example the rose garden & Mediterranean garden, but overall this adds to the relaxed atmosphere.  Cyclamen and autumn-flowering bulbs were surprisingly scarce.  I could find only a handful of C. hederifolium (including a few clustering around a C. repandum label ) and unfortunately no autumn crocus or narcissus.

Some last plant pictures from elsewhere:

Plane trees at Isola Tiberina
Gardens at Villa Borghese, including cannas etc.
Another view at Villa Borghese, including first tazetta narcissi.   However Crocus sativus and C. speciosus were going over.
Stone pines & Italian cypresses above the Foro Romano
... and of course Roman olive trees!

[Paddy Tobin]

Lovely places, Ashley.

The zelkova is my favourite, a tree I really like though it died on me because of wet conditions. Ah, well, there is a nice one in Rome for me to see.

Paddy

[Ragged Robin]

The Orto Botanico is a lovely and peaceful place to wander

It certainly looks so from your photos Ashley....lovely vistas with palm trees and water and the wonderful Zelkova sinensis tree shot looking up  

However I just love the Foro Romano photo - Italy in a nutshell  

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Wonderful images Ashley !!
Nice to see some sunshine on this grey, windy and rainy day... ! 

[shelagh]

I second that Luc I was thinking exactly the same as I looked through the pictures.
 The one of the forum took me back to a holiday cruise stop off in Rome on Boxing Day a few years ago.  We were outside the Colosseum (I checked the encylopaedia) and there were the extras in their full Roman soldier outfits all looking very splendid.  It rather spoiled the effect however when one of them reached inside his breast-plate and fetched out his mobile phone.   Brian says he had to dial XXVIIIXLD.

[ashley]

The zelkova is my favourite, a tree I really like though it died on me because of wet conditions. Ah, well, there is a nice one in Rome for me to see.

I agree Paddy, zelkovas are magnificent trees.  Was it Z. sinica that objected to our Irish damp?

I just love the Foro Romano photo - Italy in a nutshell 

Thanks Robin.  I couldn't resist including something from the 'older' Rome, especially as it linked my posts to the rock garden theme - albeit tenuously

Nice to see some sunshine on this grey, windy and rainy day... ! 

Brian says he had to dial XXVIIIXLD.

Speaking as maybe the last person in Ireland without a mobile phone I can believe this

Luc, Shelagh
You’re right: the light and warmth were such a pleasure & helped us face back to fog, wind & rain.  Although the greenhouse had been left with both end doors & several windows open for good air circulation, I returned to rampant botrytis, worse than I’ve ever seen.  This certainly bore out Ian Y’s warnings about the importance of removing flowers regularly as they go over at this time of year.

Thanks everyone for your kind comments

… and as it turned out we could even have taken the assistant gardener with us

[cohan]

lovely spot! nice to see so much green and colours, and the cactus bed is very nice..
the only problem for me with trips south is returning north at the end