The palm trees near the garden entrance are in full flower. This was a quick snapshot from yesterday, taken without all of my usual tools (tripod, plamps, reflectors), but it still turned out okay. I've photographed these Trachycarpus fortunei a few times in the past year, but I've yet to take a good habit shot - they're still too short.
As an aside, this entry begins the second month of Botany Photo of the Day (I planned to use a different (and I think superior) photograph today, but I need to verify a few things first - so maybe tomorrow). When we launched Botany Photo of the Day, it was with the understanding that we'd try it out for a month and gauge the response. It does take effort and discipline to have something fresh and appealing every day, and the question arises of whether this is the best use of limited resources (we're not NASA and their Astronomy Picture of the Day by any stretch of the imagination).
My assessment after a month's worth of entries is mixed. Conversation about the photographs comes readily enough from people I interact with through work, but only one person not affiliated with UBC has left a comment (although to be fair, a few weblogs have linked to us with comments), so that's slightly disheartening. On the other hand, at least a few dozen people subscribe to the RSS feed, so I'm pleased with that. Lastly, the number of unique web site visitors for April was easily 1.5 times our previous highest month - part of that can be explained because of spring and people using the discussion forums for gardening q+a, but it is also at least partly due to the Photo of the Day.
So, while I wouldn't consider this feature a raging success, I think it should continue on in this format for the time being and be given a chance to grow. It seems to have potential. I've yet to receive any negative feedback, but the concerns that were initially raised about it remain to be addressed.
Update (May 5, 2005 8:50 AM PST): One of the potential advantages of doing the Photo of the Day in the “weblog way” just emerged - go visit the updated entry for Babiana ringens to see what I mean.
I haven't left any comments, but I've really been enjoying the photos and learning more about the plants that you've highlighted here. This is one of my great daily pleasures.
I found you by way of Tim Bray's weblog: http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2005/04/13/BPOD
Thanks, Elaine. And I absolutely agree with the last line of the comment policy on your weblog: http://www.epersonae.com/about/?comment%20policy
I'm one of those few dozen RSS feed readers, and I really appreciate the work you're doing. I've been teaching one of our intro botany classes here at Ohio Wesleyan for three years, and as a more molecular specialist by training, I still have a lot to learn about the diversity of our fair kingdom. Keep up the great work!
Hey Chris, thanks - don't forget that the photographs are Creative Commons-licensed (see link below), so you can use them in your botany classes for education, as long as they're attributed and not significantly altered.
Say hello to the additional 29 readers who are reading you via livejournal: http://livejournal.com/users/bpod/ (just in case you didn't know already). Thanks a lot for your work! :D
Thanks rrm3 - no, I wasn't aware!
I'm a civil engineer in Toronto and one of your 12 RSS subscribers. You're my new favourite site of the day and I look forward to my aggregator picking up a bit of botany and the west coast for me every day. Please keep up the good work. I've been enjoying everything about the site. The pictures are great and the stories that go along with the pictures are excellent too.
Hi Paul - thank you and thanks everyone for commenting - this helps me justify the Photo of the Day in a way that is far more illustrative than "the numbers". I think it's pretty safe to say that things should continue on as they are.
Hi from Adelaide, Australia. I've been following via RSS ever since Tim Bray mentioned you.
Remember that there doesn't always have to be a direct relationship between the number of comments, and the interest in a particular photo or the story attached to it.
I've been meaning to link to you on a day when I post a plant picture -- I must do that.
In short, keep them coming :-)
Thanks, Marty - I was hoping to head out to Australia this September (and share the photographs here), but I don't think that's going to pan out. You're right about the correlation; I read a lot of weblogs without ever commenting. But, from time to time, it's nice to get the occasional ping.
Tim and Lauren shared some great advice with us - now I have to keep on following up with what they suggested.
I don't normally do "me too" posts, but it seems like I need to stand up and be counted as a great admirer of this site. Reorganizing my links is near the top of my priorities and I plan to add this site. I'm also coming to Vancouver at the end of June and will definitely visit the Gardens and some of the other places you have mentioned.
Keep it up.
I have been searching for someone who can tell me more about the flowers of the Trachycarpus Fortunei, as shown in your photograph. I had one on my tree last year, but this year I have the beginnings of five coming. I have had the tree for about six years. Is it possible to propogate from these flowers/seed pods?
Dan -- I adore your Photo of the Day feature! Please continue. If it helps any, I've introduced your website to my 2 of my co-workers already. Hoping for the domino effect to take place. If I may please suggest that a link to sign-up for the Photo of the Day be OBVIOUS like in the upper right hand corner of each page. I can easily sent URL links to my favorite flowers. My friends & family visit & can sign up for the RSS feed or for email notifications (most likely). Only the more technically inclinded folks tend to choose RSS feeds. There are MILLIONS of gardeners & with the baby boomer generation nearing retirement age, that number will only grow. I'm trying to help drive more traffic here -- please consider my suggestion for an easy way people can sign up!! THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU & UBCBG DO. YOU'VE BRIGHTENED MY DAY COUNTLESS TIMES W/ YOUR GORGEOUS PHOTOS & DELIGHTFUL SNIPPETS OF STORIES & BACKGROUNDS!!