How is this real? || Botanical Gardens Photo feed

It is the middle of summer and in Northern Ireland we have a nasty cold and wet autumn. The sun is not keen on this part of the globe. As much as I like the rain and grey-blue empty streets myself - I have to admit that I'm starting to long for a bit of luminous rays. Thankfully I've great photos from April that remind me that even here the sun sometimes shines.

When my Mum flew in to visit me in April - she was absolutely convinced that she was responsible for the good weather. I have to admit that I don't have many arguments to fight this statement. When she flew out, it was beautiful in Poland - over 20 degrees Celsius, very sunny, the middle of spring. The day after that - the weather in Poland turned bad. It rained for almost a week, every day. And here, on the other hand - she brought great weather, which is almost unheard of at this time of year. So let me believe that she had something to do with it:)

Besides, it was thanks to her that I had the opportunity to see a rhododendron in bloom. I have seen this plant more than once in various parts of the country - from small shrubs to giant trees. However, I had never seen a tree that was almost covered in flowers like the one we saw in the garden at the Ulster Museum in mid-April. I have to admit that I questioned reality for a long moment. I asked my Mum to stand by the tree itself to show you the scale of these flowers. The branches were bending under the weight of huge buds which, gathered in clusters undeveloped - looked like pinecones. Those already in bloom - like a finished bouquet of flowers ready to be put in a vase.

The crown of the tree was so heavy with all these flowers that most of them were at arm's length. The flower petals looked more like velvet than organic, delicate material that is ready to wither, disintegrate and rot within days after blooming.

In addition to the pics of the magnificent rhododendron, I have added some more shoots from the small greenhouse - you can find the Chinese rose, popularly known as the hibiscus. Do you, like me, love to brew hibiscus flowers for their tart, fruity flavour?

In today's collection you'll also find lots of bizarre tulips. Some of them look like roses or some very exotic plants. They are some of my Mum's favourite flowers. I also fell in love with these plants myself years ago when I first read the book ‘Martwa Natura z Wędzidłem’ ('Still Life with a Rod') by Zbigniew Herbert, where there is a chapter about tulip bulbs, which at one time in the Netherlands gained a value exceeding even precious metals. Of course, Herbert as a writer exaggerated the already crazy fact of 'Tulipomania', but nevertheless - the very fact that flower bulbs can reach such dizzying prices - is worthy of the prose of such an outstanding writer as Zbigniew Herbert.

Almost every investor has probably heard of Tulipomania. In the 17th century, tulip bulb prices in the Netherlands skyrocketed - at their peak, the equivalent of a tenement house was offered for one tulip bulb of a rare variety. In February 1637, this bubble burst. Until recently, the tulipomania was considered the biggest speculative bubble in history, with mischievous people claiming that it even surpassed the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

Nature never ceases to amaze me. Is there a plant that has made you wonder if you just witnessing an elements of a film set and not a real, growing plant?