my little trip abroad was to Egypt, a holiday I saw over 20 years ago and wanted to do as within the holiday were 5 days on a felucca on the Nile, I didn’t get 5 days only 2 days but it was worth it and I’m happy after so long that I have finally had a felucca trip, so moral never give up on your dreams and wishes,
the holiday due to being in Egypt was also full of ancient tombs and temples, too many for me so I didn’t go to the later ones in the holiday but took a walk around town, in Aswan I found this botanical garden early the last morning in Aswan, it wasn’t open as it was before eight in the morning but when I returned just after nine it was open, the only plants with labels were some of the trees so if anyone can give any idea what a plant is I would be grateful,
I think this is a lilac it looked so beautiful with the early morning sun on it, it was labelled and I am posting details where there were labels as they were written, I want to do a search for them but haven’t had time yet,
Family Verbenaceae
Vitex agnus castus

I was fascinated at seeing a (I think) bougainvillea flower close up as the brightly colour part seen is not the flower it seems, the flowers are these little tiny beauties inside the bright ? I don’t know what the bright bit is called,

the red stood out so much against the green in the morning sun,

I love daisies and these interested me as they have this lovely ring of tiny flowers wintin a flower,

these trees covered with the bright orange blooms were every where, not just in Aswan but Luxor too and along the way between the 2 cities, I had thought they were a member of the pea family and the gardens had a few of the trees labelled,
Family Legumiasae
Poinciana regia

these shrubs were every where too and the flowers seem to change colour as they age,

this tree reminded me of laburnum I don’t know if it is, there were only a few I saw when in Egypt, it is the great long black pea pods that caught my eye,
Family Leguminase
Cassia fistiula

I think I am right thinking this is bougainvillea there were lots every where and they are all beautiful, I loved the way this one has draped it’s self over the rock,

now for a bit of foliage, this beautiful little purple plant was growing around the base of a tree there were just a few tiny, tiny mauve flowers if you look close you can barely see 2,

I found the markings on these leaves beautiful,

the shrub above was planted alternately with this pink and burgundy shrub which is very effective, sorry the photo is not so good the sun was getting higher and brighter reflecting and washing out colour,

just loved these,

now for a few more trees, loved the texture, like plaits,
Family Arecaceae
Hyphaena thebaica

I was amazed by this tree as I have never seen anything like it before, it is big and I kept walking back trying to get more of it in, sadly it looked like it was dying, there was very little leaf or sign of new growth,
Family Bombacaccene
Ceiba panlandra

there were in Luxor and Aswan lots of clipped trees and here in the garden I had a chance to get up close, they are bay trees, I am not sure if the same bay I use in cooking but they did look like the same, with these 2 I liked that some had a single stem other had multiple,

just loved the pattern as I looked up,

again just loved the pattern of branches,

a view of the Nile from the garden in Aswan looking north,

I had put my camera away and was leaving the garden when I saw my favourite animal so had to get my camera out, Egyptian cat,

just loved the expression cat bliss,

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