A superb website for alpines and rock gardens: Marijn van den Brink

In Iran:

http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Asia/nieuw-Iran-Central-Weste...
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Asia/nieuw-Iran-Central-Weste...

Ah, I have lost MANY MANY hours on the Marijn van den Brink site, a tremendous resource and certainly some of the most incredible alpines ever.  The photographs are outstanding, and there's information on most species.  I really value a resource such as this where there are so many excellent photographs (almost all plants identified) showing plants in the wild in documented locations.  I found one plant (on one of the links you posted) that was listed as "??" without an ID, yet it looked familiar to me, surely if was the endemic Chinese version (Phytolacca polyandra) of the American Poke Weed (Phytolacca americana).  More about this small but toxic genus here:  http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6788.0

I did offer a comment on the site as to the ID :)

The site is so useful because you can go to Marijn's main site at http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/
and do a search on any genus, like Corydalis or Acantholimon, to just explore his photos on that genus, aqnd feast one's eyes.  Thanks for the reminder Lori; everyone should bookmark this destination.

Well, now I'm in for it, I can see I'll be spending a great deal of time Marijn's site, and, as you said Lori, on some of the incredible seed lists, I too will want one of everything! Thanks for the links...

I didn't know about the search capability, Mark.  Thanks for pointing that out!

Some astounding plant life in Peru:
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/South-America/Peru-Northern-p...

My goodness - what wonderful pictures! The trouble is how do you divide your time between the computer and the garden?

Oh, Lori,

I just randomly clicked on your second link and am in shock.
I have never seen such a wondrous sight, the Paraquilegia anemonoides pic is simply amazing.
Not sure I dare click on more links.

Who in the world might I ask, can outshine the quality or outnumber the quantity of images displayed by Marijn van den Brink or John Lonsdale.  We are so very fortunate to have such magnificent resources at our fingertips and at our disposal.

Tim wrote:

My goodness - what wonderful pictures! The trouble is how do you divide your time between the computer and the garden?

Well Tim, the winter months are upon us, so it's a great time to pull up a comfy chair, put on seatbelt and googles, and throttle into overdrive armchair botanizing ;D

Cliff, I share your sentiment, it's great to have such fantastic resources out there, and John Lonsdale's site is another one that I use quite a bit.

Helen, I dare you to click on just one more link, how can you possibly resist! ;)

Thanks, Mark.
I could never pass on a dare!!
Will now be awake all night running a slide show in my head. :o