Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Elephant Ears

Ten days ago, on 27 April 2016, I had a volunteer shift and afterwards, as the sun was peeping through the clouds, I decided to call in at the Reader Rock Garden. There was a reasonable number of plants in bloom, including several shrubs/trees covered in blossom. I wasn't sure if I was going to be too early or too late for Tulips, especially as this year has so far been most unusual, weatherwise, but there were a number in various colours. There was also a bush of gorgeous pink Hellebore flowers, hanging their heads as they tend to do. Also a few clusters of these vibrant Elephant Ears / Bergenia cordifolia. There was enough colour and variety of plants to make this visit worthwhile - and it should only get better and better with the coming weeks, hopefully. Bergenia, also called elephant-eared saxifrage or elephant's ears, is a genus of ten species of flowering plants in the family Saxifragaceae. It is native to central Asia, from Afghanistan to China and the Himalayan region. “Bergenia are incredibly hardy, and reliably evergreen throughout nearly the entire continent. Plants form a low clump of bold, leathery green leaves, which often turn bronze during winter. Short stems of magenta-pink flowers rise above the shiny foliage in mid spring. The winter leaves are a valuable addition to cut flower bouquets. Most effective when mass planted or used as an edging along a walkway.” From perennials.com. www.perennials.com/plants/bergenia-cordifolia.html We desperately need rain, though. In fact, this week's botany walk was changed from a natural area to the Reader Rock Garden, as either the wildflowers were already over or else they just hadn't grown because everywhere is so dry. I wouldn't be surprised if this year is a bad one for wildfires. Already, the massive fire in Fort McMurray and surrounding areas has been devastating to many thousands (80,000?) of people. They need rain so badly.

It's noon and I only finally woke up just after 11:30 a.m.. Waited up till around 3:00 a.m., waiting to see if there was another e-maill from my youngest daughter about whether she had been evacuated or not, because of the devastating flooding that is going on in Calgary right now. She lives 9 blocks from the river and was on standby for evacuation. She e-mailed again at 5:30 this morning, saying she still hadn't heard about the evacuation, but still has to go to work, so is hoping that an order doesn't come when she's away from home. Every school in Calgary is closed. The flooding in Calgary (and other places in Southern Alberta) is utterly devastating. Back in 2005, we had dreadful flooding in the city, too, but this present flooding is even worse! If I was on a path in Fish Creek near the river right now, the water would be way over my head - someone said that it was half way up tall trees. I feel so sorry for all the endless people who will have suffered so much damage to their homes and belongings. Damage to other buildings, pathways, natural areas is going to be horrendous - and I can't help but also think of all the helpless wildlife out there. This flooding came at a time when baby birds have just been hatched or are still very young. I can't help wondering if the Bluebird nest boxes have filled with water and drowned the little ones. So, from the most major devastation to the tiniest, but still so precious, losses, it is a very sad time going on here. Stay safe, everyone! It's still raining, with more to come. From the weather forecast, it looks like from Thursday 27 June onwards, the weather should be warming up and there will be lots of sunshine to help dry out our wet, wet city and province. "In June of 2005, one of the city's worst flood years on record, heavy rain caused flood damage to about 40,000 homes, and 1,500 Calgarians were evacuated. Right now, city officials warn the current flooding situation poses a much more serious threat. Mandatory evacuation notices were issued to up to 100,000 people in 20 neighbourhoods along low-lying areas of the Elbow and Bow Rivers today, as city officials cautioned that more communities will probably be told to pack up and leave as flood waters were expected to rise overnight." www.calgarysun.com/2013/06/20/heavy-rain-in-banff-canmore... Incredible YOUTUBE VIDEO OF CALGARY FLOODS from Global News: youtu.be/bRS8YfVlt3Y In case anyone is wondering what is happening at the Calgary Zoo, the Administration building, SCOW, ENMAX Conservatory and Kitamba Cafe all sit in several feet of water as they sit in some of the lowest areas on the island. However, all animals are safe and secure, many having been moved to higher ground or elsewhere. Took this photo of Elephant Ears at the Reader Rock Garden on 5 June 2013. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------