Botanical Geek Tour Report - Progress report

The fourth botanical geek tour is well underway, and it's been going very well.  The Phactor would have reported in already except the bloody hotel internet connection blocked access to signing on to the Phytophactor blog because it was an "adult" site?!  Apparently the algal orgy and some other blogs about plant reproduction tripped some type of nanny filter. So how has it gone.  Yesterday was spent at Longwood Garden, and this morning at Bartrum's Garden.  Suffice it to say, two more different gardens could hardly be described.  Longwood's extensive and precise gardens are quite magnificent, but for a sophisticated gardener and botanical tourist, nothing could beat Bartrum's, a tiny 300 year old oasis of a garden surrounded by tenement row houses.  That it survived at all is amazing.  Longwood is almost too perfect, but Bartrum's displays a casual neglect that only a garden of real gardening and botanical heritage could pull off.  As a crazy counterpoint to both was the Magic Garden on South St. in Philadelphia, which while not botanical, is called a garden nonetheless.  In terms of my progress report, we have eaten extremely well.  What remarkable things have we seen so far?  The oldest gingko in the USA grows in Bartrum's garden as well as a national champion yellowwood tree which was in full bloom (good timing that).  It's hard to know, but the most remarkable plant at Longwood garden was the biggest Cyas revoluta any of us had ever seen.  They grow so slowly, that one in our collection has barely changed in 30 years, but it was but a seedling compared to this specimen.  It's age?  Who knows?  200 years, 300 years?  Did the Phactor mention seafood?  Today's lunch was at Pearl's Oyster Bar in the Reading Terminal Market, a fantastic extravagance of culinary delights.  So more details to come.  Images to come.  Stay tuned.  Why the troops have even invaded Delaware to avoid the stoopid liquor laws of PA and get wine.  So there PA!  Is this what comes of being founded by Quakers?  Can't say.  Stay tuned.