Okay, the title of this post is a total lie. First of all, I didn’t travel around the world today… that was yesterday now. Because it is the next morning. Also, this post contains not one single photo of a flower. This is finishing up the pictures from that first botanical garden I went to, that has only native Californian plants, and I shared all the flower ones yesterday. But the Darth Vader rock, I did not make that up… just wait for it.

Once again, it is summer. The end of summer. Not the best time for flowers.

Ooooh… a Spanish moss-covered branch!

And an old wooden fence covered with lichen.

There is still color, even when you can’t find a flower. Leaves, getting a jump on spring.

Or the strange, muddy-red of a manzanita.

But this post points out two things. First of all, when I was young, like most of us, I guess I took nature for granted. I had no idea these botanical gardens, so near to where I grew up, were so freekin’ big! I don’t think I ever made it all the way to the back of either one of them.

I guess I got bored with nature, and wanted to move on.

See, I found a rock that looks like Darth Vader!

Cacti! That is the other thing that this garden highlights. California has everything! Snowy mountains, deserts, old growth redwood forests, beaches with swaying palm trees. And everything in between.

See, there is a palm tree right there.

Even this lizard seems enthralled bu the beauty.

It was really almost magical.

What do you know, there is a grove of Giant Sequoia in there.

There are redwoods, and… uh… other trees.

There is an entire hillside covered with majestic oaks.

I walked a lot further than I thought I was going to yesterday.

I found myself wishing that my daughters were both there.

Okay, now we can move on to the other botanical garden, with plants from all over the world.

Get ready for some more flowers!