Orchids Aplenty - Cam Theme - 57

I don't know about you, but I really like orchids
growing them on the other hand has proved difficult.
But that hasn't stopped me buying them.

If you happen to be in Singapore from 13-20 November, the 20th World Orchid Conference is happening.
The next World Orchid Conference is in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2014

There are 2 kinds of orchids:

epiphytes - these are the most popular and grow from trees.
                  they require a moist, warm climate
                  most popular being Dendrobiums

orchid Dendrobium

terrestrial - these grow directly from the ground
                  they are easier to grow and their flowers last longer
                  most popular being Cymbidiums

orchid Cymbidium

so, if you ARE an orchid boffin, I'd love to hear from you giving names to the images of orchids I have here. All these photos were taken in the Begonia hothouse at Wellington's Botanic gardens




There are 11 photo sets in this "CAM" series and one guest photo.
If you would like to see more images of orchids - or Wellington  - click on the labels tab at the bottom of this blog

Click on any image for a larger view.

Previous posts can be viewed by clicking on the "BLOG ARCHIVE" section to the right.
If there is a particular subject you would like to see - it just may already be on my blog.
Check the top right of this main page to search it out.

so we've had orchids looking like tiger lillies and now these ones - 

which (to me) look like bearded iris flowers, but they're not

looking at it close up with my camera lens, I like the result...

orchid close up

it's an interesting mix of complimentary colours

whilst I'm definitely not an orchid officianado, I do have this titbit to share:

yellow orchids mainly come from Thailand

yellow orchid

where these yellow ones come from, I wouldn't have a clue

but I quite enjoy their difference to other orchid varieties in the hothouse

so flick me a comment if you know the details of this plant...

this photo of an orchid cluster is here coz I like how the darker background makes them stand out

and of course they're good looking orchids

foliage doesn't usually vie for attention as much as the flowers do

I wasn't sure these larger pink orchid blooms would photograph well

orchid Dendrobium - pink

the blooms seem to hover in this photo and the green background of ferns compliments it nicely I think

Here is a cluster of trumpeting orchids that I liked the look of

I decided to crop it to get rid of the background leaves of another tropical plant in the hothouse, thereby focusing on the small orchid flowers themselves
.

pink orchids

since these orchids were growing from the ground up - 

I can safely say they are terrestrial orchids.

spotted terrestrial orchids

there wasn't a name tag nearby that I was aware of when taking the photo but here it is for your viewing pleasure. 

I just like the spotted pattern of these orchids

these orchids look more like Tiger Lillies I thought

orchids looking like lillies

they were definitely terrestrial variety - so apparently easy to grow

Some of the larger blooming orchids...

the accompanying grey leaves complimenting the purple and white of the colourful lips

Dendrobium orchid 

and a close up of the fascinating colours and patterns of these Dendrobium orchids
there's even 2 pearl-like adornments there

Dendrobium orchid close up

good tree-growing orchids these...

Since I don't know the name of these orchids, I called them "white and green" 

again, they were in clusters - and seemed quite spindly compared to some of the bigger blooming orchids in the Begonia House

I wouldn't have a clue what type of orchids these miniature cluster of pink ones are, but it goes to show the diversity of species in the orchid family

above is a close up -
and below - in the context of their environment...

I don'r recall these orchids having any scent 

GUEST PHOTO:...

This photo of a baobab tree near Hoedspruit in South Africa

Baobab tree - Hoedspruit

by Warwick Anderson

... :GUEST PHOTO

a day out - Wellington City - Cam Theme - 56

There is a lot to do and see in Wellington. 

Here is a photo of the iconic view of Wellington on a good day from the Cable Car in Kelburn - looking out over the city and harbour below

Wellington city and iconic Cable Car

We had just come from the bottom of Lambton Quay and ventured around the area at the top of the cable car near the observatory.
What follows is a collection of photos from our day out

There are 11 photo sets in this "CAM" series and one guest photo.
If you would like to see more images of Wellington  - click on the labels tab at the bottom of this blog

Click on any image for a larger view.

Previous posts can be viewed by clicking on the "BLOG ARCHIVE" section to the right.
If there is a particular subject you would like to see - it just may already be on my blog.
Check the top right of this main page to search it out.

small, old building amongst the new in downtown Wellington 

there was just something about this old building that caught my eye as it and it's history seemed jammed in between the progress of a growing city

This is the first photo (of three) of the Plimmer steps in downtown Wellington, taken from street level on Lambton Quay

the second photo zooms in on the sculpture of John Plimmer and his dog Fitz
and the third photo zooms in on the highrise buildings above

click the label: Plimmer steps to see all the photos

sculpture of John Plimmer and his dog Fitz in downtown Wellington

John Plimmer and dog Fitz

Plimmer steps - central Wellington

click the label: Plimmer steps to see this street art in the context of the rest of the surroundings

Highrise Wellington. 

The view from Lambton Quay towards the top of the Plimmer steps.

BODY TO SOUL - 1996 - by Mary-Louise Browne

Top-Bottom: 

Soul

Sour

Soar

Sear

Seer

Seed

Send

Bend

Bond

Bony

Body

BRONZE FORM (cast 1988)

Henry Moore (1898-1986)

Bronze Form by Henry Moore in Wellington NZ

What does the Bronze Form represent?

As Moore said, "All art should have a certain mystery and should make demands on the spectator. Giving a sculpture or a drawing too explicit a title takes away part of that mystery so that the spectator moves onto the next object, making no effort to ponder the meaning of what he has just seen. Everyone thinks that he or she looks but they don't really, you know."

Many of Moore's works are suggestive of human forms. This piece here in the Botanic gardens, was originally conceived as the central form of a three-piece sculpture.
Moore subsequently decided it could stand alone

The inter island ferry Kaitaki - coming in to berth at Wellington - seen from the observatory above the botanic gardens

Kaitaki

how to work out latitude and longitude

if you click on the location link - you'll see where I was standing when taking the picture

Your current position is S 41^o 17’02.9” E 174^o 46’ 05.6”

Latitude and longitude are both required to identify an exact location. A place’s latitude, location north or south of the equator, can be determined by observing the sun and stars.

However, to gauge longitude, or the east/west position, you must know both the time at a reference point (Greenwich Mean Time) and the time at your current location. Since time is calculated by how long it takes the earth to rotate every 24 hours – one hour for every 15^o turn – the two times allow navigators to compute the angle on the earth where they are located: their longitude.

How it works:

New Zealand is 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Using the equation: 12 hours (difference between the two times) x 15^o = 180^o, we find that New Zealand is near enough to 180^o longitude.

I learnt all that from the observatory board – so why not share it here as well...

couple on a bench

near the Carter Observatory, there are a few benches to relax on and stop to take in the views of Wellington city below. This candid shot sums it up quite nicely I think...

This is number 7 on the list of The Kowhai Walk - The Sundial of Human Development

From the plaque at the sundial:

"There are many different types of sundial, the most commonly seen being the horizontal sundials used to beatify gardens. This sundial is a type of horizontal sundial which uses a series of fixed points located around the circumference of an ellipse. A person is used to produce the shadow by standing on the time of year marked on a figure of eight located in the centre of the ellipse.

This sundial is accurate to within a few minutes and no corrections have to be made for daylight saving. This is because the bronze indicators on the granite columns are moved twice a year. This sundial was constructed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Plimmer Family in Wellington". 

Give it a go when next you're at the top of the Botanical Gardens - it's fun to see what time it is just by raising your arms up above your head - provided you're standing on the spot...

Guest Photo: ...

The skyline of Johannesburg backed by an awesome sunset

Johannesburg sunset by Yvonne Butts

by Yvonne Butts 

... : Guest Photo