London Zoo

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Proof I have a life outside the Horniman, I s’pose!
Because everything is going on at the moment, this is going to be a big journal entry about everything. I know I said I’d limit my GOY postings to blogging about the Horniman, but it’s my experiences, so here they are.

Here’s Pippin the Japanese Quail. Isn’t she cute? And completely motionless, the only one out of the three who doesn’t mind being held.

More pictures of the quails? Yep.

And the dog…

And the biggest 4.5 month old cactus seedling, ‘Kronos’:

Back to a bit of gardening? Yes please. The first ground frost at the Horniman was a poignant moment.

But the red admirals are still fluttering about:

And the oaks are looking very autumnal:

In the Horniman’s nursery I was instructed to cut down all the herbaceous things in pots, just as we had done with (finally, the great monkshood) everything in the beds. Sadly these neon pink Geranium psilostemon blooms went. I’m glad I snapped them against that Ophiopogon while they lasted:

Some delicate campanula seed heads:

And an Arum for me:

In the African bed, they planted ferns and a Nerine without me!:

I watered my shrubbery again and found a rainbow:

At the front of the museum the arbutus is fruiting:

And the lemon yellow kniphofias are still in bloom:

Ah,

Now we go to the zoo.

Tom is back in my life and I couldn’t be happier. We’re like two peas in a pod, sharing life together, and this first photo from our day out on Saturday sums things up:

Now, I’m not bad with plant taxonomy, but that of animals is never something I pride myself on. Here is a “snouted turtle”:

A lonely frog:

Caecillians! Not enough fuss is made over these legless amphbians. They’re fascinating creatures:

Something bright yellow is always a pleasure for the eye:

Oh the bearded pigs! And that really is what they’re called, I couldn’t forget that!:

And the rubbery pygmy hippo:

To the butterfly house!

And I know we’re at the zoo, but just one plant photo, please. Musa velutina:

Translucent, almost in focus:

Oh, just one more. I wonder if someone could identify this for me. I believe the cucurbiceae family:

And of course if anyone could name these mystery tropical butterflies…:

The mighty Atlas Moths:

And their caterpillars:

And out to penguin beach, where we discovered a snooze:

Pelicans are big up close:

Spider feet are just as creepy as the rest of them:

Apple snails:

Their jellyfish…

…are not as good as the Horniman’s jellyfish:

Just quickly. The Horniman museum’s aquarium/amphibarium is phenomenal.

However, we don’t have tigers:

Or these tiny orange crustaceans:

Or indeed a Unicorn Surgeonfish:

We found this great Turkish restaurant, very friendly, great food and just look at that stained glass!

We get back to lots of packages for me. That would be a windowsil full of succulents to be potted:

This is now done, but my plant swaps from the Scilly Isles turned up yesterday evening, and those all need my love. Oh, but I have to go get the keys to my room in Catford this evening. But Tom is back today, and staying all week. He’ll be studying while I’m out at the Horniman. :)

And I end with an embarrassing truth.
Here is the first vegetable (shhhh it’s not a fruit) I have ever grown. Well, almost. Look how close I am though!

• 26 Oct, 2011
• 7 likes

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