h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thank you in advance for taking pictures at the garden. I have some we took several years ago with a 35 mm. They are nice, but our digital takes so much better pix.

I have no idea how to tell you where the sculpture garden is. Our friends drove. They live in Glendale and it seems it wasn't too far from there.

Shaw Garden is one of my favorite Botanical Gardens. there is a very nice one in Birmingham AL, too.

I'm surprised how widespread the term "botanical gardens" is. I'd have thought that was the default type of garden.

There is a botanical garden in San Antonio. It isn't as nice as the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Bagpuss, I imagine a botanical garden is so named because they are designed for educational purposes and to preserve rare plants rather than just as eye candy. Or people might just think it sounds cool. Who knows.

There's certainly something impressive in the name. I supposed it's distinct from formal gardens, which focus more on everything being laid out in nice, straight lines, than on the plants themselves. Oh, and different from zoological gardens or zoos.

I always thought 'botanical' means "You'd best not pick this fruit, sucka!"

Oh yeah, I never complimented you on your most excellent juicy tasty peaches, Hyp. I had to eat them fairly quickly.

The botanical gardens I've seen try to create habitat areas. So, tropical area, alpine area, desert area, etc.

I enjoy zoos also. Don't know which I'd choose if both were offered but I only had time for one. Probably the botanical garden.

Yes, sometimes I have seen a zoo referred to as a zoological gardens, so perhaps they call them botanical gardens (which does seem redundant, somehow) to differentiate.

Broe, please check in so we will know you are ok. We heard on the noon news about the storms in St. Louis last night. Was it anywhere near you? My St. Louis friends were going to Wisconsin today. I guess they must have left, since I got their anwering machine when I called.

Hyp, in Doo Dah, you would definitely need to choose the zoo!

Yes, Xantief, the peaches went from being underripe to overripe in about 15 minutes. That's what happens with peaches. And the bluejays knew when they were ripe because they started eating them immediately. A good way to tell when they're ready, by the way.

And thatn you for trhe pistachios. I...ahem....accidentally forgot to put them out while everyone was there and now am forced to eat them all myself.

That should be thank you for the pistachios.

I understand. I'm that way with pistachios myself...

I'm crushed! I pistachios. And to think, my own sister deprived me of them.

I might be persuaded to trade you a handful of pistachios for a glass of mixed berry wine. If you get here before I eat all of the pistachios, of course.

How thoughtful. I will bring you a whole bottle of mixed berry wine for a handful of pistachios. Of course I will help you consume the wine too.

I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.

OK, you got me.

So you can trust blue jays to know when peaches are ripe? I have noticed that the finches and robins are willing to eat grapes and apples a long time before they are ripe, little

The finches at our old house always seemed to wait until the redcurrants were ripe.