Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, Trees, tulip tree, Victoria Park on January 4, 2023| 2 Comments »
The bare tulip tree in February 2022
I will soon be starting to follow a new tree so it’s time to look back on 2022, the year of the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park.
For the record, all my tulip tree posts can be found here.
These are some of my photos taken from winter through spring, summer and autumn to winter again… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, tagged Nature, Trees, tulip tree, winter on December 14, 2022| 5 Comments »
Twin trunks of the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park
I visited the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park for the last time today as we near the end of the year.
The weather has been cold since the start of December, with some frost, ice and freezing mist – but only one light dusting of snow so far. Today was very cold and raw but brighter than the dank days earlier in the week.
The tree is now stripped bare of leaves, as it was when I first started to follow it in February 2022.
Here are the photos from my visit… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, Trees, tulip tree, Victoria Park on November 13, 2022| 11 Comments »
Autumn leaves of the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park this week
I am glad I visited the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park a bit earlier this time as I might otherwise have missed its autumn colour.
We have had so much rain and wind in recent weeks that most of the loosening leaves have been blown from the branches and now lie in mush on the grass.
Here are the photos from my latest visit, on a rare dry day… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged autumn, Nature, Trees, tulip tree on October 13, 2022| 6 Comments »
The characteristic leaves of the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park
Autumn has reached South Wales but not all the trees change colour at once. I fear I will have to visit the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park again before next month or I might miss its full orange glory.
This week, with the weather still changeable, I went to see it on a pleasant blue-sky morning – and there was already a need to wear a warm jacket.
Here are the photos from my visit… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, tagged Nature, tulip tree, Victoria Park on September 14, 2022| 6 Comments »
A raindrop-splattered leaf fallen from the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park
As the days get shorter and cooler, there is what my Yorkshire mother-in-law would call a “back-endish” feel to the crisp air.
Since last month the parched weather has been relieved by a considerable amount of rain here in South Wales, but I fear it will not be a good year for autumn colour, with many tree leaves falling prematurely, brown and shrivelled.
After a wet week I managed to visit the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park today, on what turned out to be a glorious blue-sky day with quite warm temperatures.
There was a stubborn band of rain farther to the south of Britain, which soaked London during these sad times of national mourning after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Here are the photos from my visit this morning… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, Trees, tulip tree, Victoria Park on August 14, 2022| 6 Comments »
Dry leaves fallen from the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn’t it a pity
Doesn’t seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half-dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head
[The Lovin’ Spoonful – Summer in the City]
Last month we had a mini heatwave with temperatures in the 30s for a few days, but this time we are on the verge of drought, even here in South Wales, one of the wettest parts of the UK. The hot, cloudless weather has lasted about a fortnight and we are really hoping it will break with some welcome rain in the coming week.
It was exhausting walking the mile to visit Victoria Park to check up on the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) on Friday. The place was full of families, with the loud squeals of children playing on the splash pad – such a good idea in this weather and all the water is recirculated. I don’t like to take pictures of children without permission so this is from the website of the creators of the splashpad…
One of the exciting features of the splashpad is a bucket that gradually fills and then upends over all the children. Click on the photo to go to the Ustigate Waterplay website
Here are my pictures of the tulip tree… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, tagged Nature, Trees, tulip tree on July 14, 2022| 4 Comments »
Fresh green fruit on the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park
We are in the middle of a mini heatwave here in Cardiff – although it is even hotter around London and the South East of the UK, where temperatures may get near to 40C over the weekend, according to the forecasts.
It was slightly overcast but still muggy when I visited Victoria Park to check up on the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) yesterday.
This time the main feature was an abundance of new fruits. It was when I looked these up on Wikipedia that I realised I had not properly described the flowers on my previous visit. So here goes…
According to Wikipedia the flowers are 3–10 cm in diameter and have nine tepals — three green outer sepals and six inner petals which are yellow-green with an orange flare at the base. Flowers of L. tulipifera have a faint cucumber odour [clearly I did not get close enough to notice this].
The stamens and pistils are arranged spirally around a central spike or gynaecium. The stamens fall off, and the pistils become the samaras. The fruit is a cone-like aggregate of samaras 4–9 cm long, each of which has a roughly tetrahedral seed with one edge attached to the central conical spike and the other edge attached to the wing.
Here are my latest pictures… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, Trees, tulip tree on June 14, 2022| 4 Comments »
Flower on the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park
The weather is still changeable here in Cardiff and it grows cool when the sun slips behind a cloud, but apart from that summer is in full swing.
It was again sunny but breezy when I visited Victoria Park to check up on the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) on Friday.
I was in a hurry as I had to combine the trip with the weekly bread, meat and fruit and veg shop in Cowbridge Road East, so for a change I entered the park from that end – the opposite direction to my usual visits.
Here are the latest pictures… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, tagged Nature, Spring, Trees, tulip tree, Victoria Park on May 14, 2022| 8 Comments »
New flower buds and last year’s husks on the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park
As we pass from late spring into summer here in Cardiff the weather is warming up, although we still have an occasional wet day for the benefit of the garden.
It was sunny but surprisingly blustery when I visited Victoria Park to visit the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) this week.
The statuesque tree is now full of leaves at that lovely, fresh light green stage of growth.
Here are the pictures from my latest visit… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, Spring, Trees, tulip tree on April 14, 2022| 5 Comments »
Fresh growth on the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park
After a recent cold snap with hailstorms the weather is getting warmer here in South Wales.
Of course that means it is slightly damper and it started to drizzle when I arrived at Cardiff’s Victoria Park to visit the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) this week.
I was delighted to find the tree now had a distinct green tinge.
Here are the pictures from my latest visit… (more…)
The Squirrelbasket 