The other day at the nursery, I saw the famous (or infamous) Blue Himalayan Poppy. It made me think of
Barry.
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| Meconopsis betonicifolia |
Do you think I bought one? Nope. I've already killed more than a few and the gamble didn't seem worth the $10.
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| Look how pretty they are all lined up. |
On a recent trip to Dancing Oaks, I wasn't in picture-taking mode but I did capture a few pretty vignettes.
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| "Snow" petals carpeted the terrace. |
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| This water feature always takes my breath away. |
At Fry Road Nursery, I saw this really cool plant and had to take a photo.
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| Bells of Ireland |
And also...
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| A very cool Mandevilla |
And...
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| A blooming banana |
And finally...
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| A baby pineapple! |
Last weekend, in my own garden...
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| I saw this sweet Painted Lady butterfly enjoying the Blue Star Creeper flowers. |
Last Sunday my garden group visited Gentle Breeze, a Japanese garden hidden in the forest not too far from home.
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| Restrained serenity... I love this water feature. |
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| Next to the house, a huge Laburnum tree in full bloom. |
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| This Corokia is incredible! |
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I'm not a fan of yellow daylilies but this long row of foliage
is really captivating. |
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Looking back to the beginning of the pathway through the garden.
I love this simple arbor. |
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| Fabulous ferns! |
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| New Hemlock foliage is so pretty. |
The pathway eventually led down a hill to a babbling brook that was, apparently too captivating to take a picture of. What was I thinking? Dang. However, there were native Delphiniums blooming. Just gorgeous!
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| Delphinium menziesii |
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| So pretty! |
Back up near the house, a bank of blue Forget-me-nots were just finishing up while a mammoth Snowball Viburnum took center stage.
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| Viburnum macrocephalum |
On the other end of the bank was a good sized clump of Red Hot Pokers.
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| Rocks were placed in a naturalistic way throughout the garden. |
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| The hostas area is beautiful and amazingly free of deer and slug teeth marks. |
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| The water feature... |
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| Looking back over the garden one last time. |
Finally, back at my garden, my new desktop photo. I'm very happy with this vignette.
May your fingernails get dirty this weekend.
I'm definitely planning to get my fingernails dirty this weekend! I have way too many plants that need to get in the ground. You shared some lovely photos. I love that twig and branch arbor. It's so wonderful when one area of our own gardens somehow ends up looking so perfect we want to memorialize it. The vignette that is your new desktop is perfect!
ReplyDeleteThe blooming banana is fascinating and i love the butterfly photo too!
ReplyDeleteJeannine
I never thought that finished Forget-me-nots could look so fabulous! I pulled my plants already up to prevent crazy self-seeding. Now, I have second thoughts. They look kind of pretty in their smoky-silvery-grey outfit...
ReplyDeleteI like your garden vignette, Grace! That Japanese garden is also very pretty, especially 'Restrained serenity' picture.
Great post of other gardens as well as your own. I love your vignette of your garden, very colorful and full of interest to draw one further in.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely weekend ~ FlowerLady
I love that water feature at Dancing Oaks too.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much to learn from Japanese gardens so I enjoyed seeing all your photos from this one, especially the rocks.
Lovely gardens , I'm planning a trip to Dancing Oaks next weekend . have a great weekend !
ReplyDeleteLovely photo's and gardens as usual Grace and I love Bell's Of Ireland also. The poppy is nice, not sure if they would grow here or not, though I have grown poppy's.
ReplyDeleteI've worn out two pair of garden gloves trying to preserve my fingernails and am in need of a third pair, these all have holes in them and the nails are showing it. :)
Wow, that garden is GORGEOUS!!! What a fun day trip!
ReplyDeleteYours ain't lookin' half bad either.
We've spent a week in homeowner's insurance hell and I have absolutely no motivation to play in the dirt. You would think I'd be anxious to get out and take my mind off things, but really all I want to do is lay on the couch and feel sorry for myself. I'm hoping dinner at my sister's tonight will get me out of this funk.....
Mine a filthy grimy from weeding....and it was a bear in the 90s with high humidity...se vere storms coming again.
ReplyDeleteGrace your garden is lovely and the Japanese garden is stunning...I love these gardens as they are serene.
Your camera lens always finds wonderful focal points, both at home and in your wanderings.
ReplyDeleteMy fingernails are already dirty from the week ending...but the weekend promises more of the same.
Sunny good wishes to you, too, Grace!
Lovely photos. At which nursery did you see the blue poppy (I haven't had my heart broken yet, and despite all the stories yearn to try growing one)?
ReplyDeleteIt took a lot of scrubbing to get all the dirt out from under my fingernails today! The garden's you visited are fabulous, as is your own! I've never seen a blue poppy but I suppose it looks like a blue version of a white poppy. $10 seems a bit steep to me, too.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful adventures Grace, and there is something wonderful about returning home to your own garden after an adventure! I am waiting ever so patiently for the sole remaining surviving Meconopsis to bloom.... wait for the squeal of delight Grace! Lovely post and to die for photos!
ReplyDeleteNice pictures. I really like your capture of the flutterby! Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteGracie girl that was wonderful !
ReplyDeleteI so love the water features and the rocks .. the Japanese style is so good for the soul .. such peace and serenity .. I love seeing so many different styles and plants.
I have been so busy I am dizzy .. today I take a day off from the garden .. we had a great soaking from the rain last night so that is a bonus !
Joy : )
I swear if I lived where you do with all these nurseries ? I would go .. BANANAS ! hahaha
Just getting back from our trip and trying to heal from whatever bug I picked up along the way, and yes, anxious to get out and get dirt under my fingernails. Planning a trip to Al's soon as hubby received a gift card for his birthday. He says he'll share with me. :)
ReplyDeleteOh wow Grace, I want that water feature too. LOL! Beautiful. I love the blue poppies too and would love to have them. I tried some expensive seeds once and not a one germinated. Needless to say I never tried again. LOL! The plants cost too much. Those ferns are so lovely too. So many plants and so little money and room. LOL!
ReplyDeleteMy blog address has changed to:
http://lonadawn7.blogspot.com/
Grace, interesting trip to Japanese garden. I love water and lanterns and colorful small plants near it.
ReplyDeleteThe arbor in your garden looks nice with lianas on it!
Gorgeous photos, Grace! I love that Japanese garden. I am very partial to them -- must the focus on form that I like so much. Having said that, the sheer romance of that overblown snowball viburnum takes my breath away. Too cute! :)
ReplyDeleteNice photos, Grace! Yes, we all kill plants sometimes, don't we. At least the blue poppies are known for being difficult so you don't have to feel too guilty :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm always impressed to see what Fry Road Nursery has. They strike such a perfect balance between comfortable and exotic! The Japanese garden is a lovely place and it's wonderful to see the meadow of native delphinium. It's new Tom , and quite beautiful. A great candidate for our "Northwest Territory", thank you!
ReplyDeleteNever knew that bananas can look so different like what you have posted here.
ReplyDeleteAbove all, I truly enjoyed your garden trip - something that I would never see but able to appreciate it as how you portray it.
Have a great weekend!
Grace, those garden are so beautiful.
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