Whenever we are in Cairns I love to pop into the Fletcher botanical gardens. It is not a huge area, but so cleverly designed that there are plenty of paths to wander back and forth, up and down, beside little streams and you feel at times totally lost in a tropical jungle. The torch ginger is perhaps one of my favourite plants.
Then again this ginger with variegated stalks looks a bit like a bamboo, but then it has these lovely red and yellow flowers that rise up at the base.....
Here is a detail of those lovely stalks..
These orange gingers look like stacks of orange slices
I called these poached egg orchids, but no matter what you call them they are lovely.
The tropical skyline - there is just something about a palm tree against the sky
Swathes of grass just call out for visitors to lie down and admire the view from another angle
Huge arching branches over the path give a lovely shade, and then these huge arms of Heleconias drop down at the side.
A detail of the flowers..
and one more...
I hope you enjoyed a taste of the Fletcher Botanical Gardens and that you plan to include a walk around here if you are ever in Cairns
Oh wait - did I say that the torch ginger was my favourite? - then the beehive ginger comes along. I don't believe you can choose just one.
For more information on times and location: http://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/cairns/services/botanic_gardens/fbg_main.htm
