Showing posts with label whimsy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whimsy. Show all posts

thanks, skeeter

 We arrived home from vacation traveling to enjoy a few days of STAY-cation.
It rained all the way home today....
A large, beautiful box was waiting for me at the post office.
From Skeeter!
I was a winner (along with Flower Lady).  My prize was the froggy rain gauge (above).
Quite surprised and very happy was I to find additional and totally unexpected treasures--
like the gardening gloves
 and other sweet garden art!
Right up my "alley"!
Thanks, Skeeter!
And if you haven't "met" her, hurry over to meet her at

Scene/Seen In Huntsville

 Honestly, it was only after downloading my pictures that I realized how few 
 of the actual flowers I had photographed at the incredible
 Huntsville (Alabama) Botanical Garden!
 
 But I assure you, this was an amazing garden.

 With many features for children,
 hardscape and hands-on features,
I can't imagine a better place to have spent an afternoon!
Huntsville Botanical Garden contains many themed gardens and trails, and beautifully achieves its mission to blend traditional botanical garden elements, the aesthetic heritage of the region, and  the conservation of natural resources. 
 Whimsy was in the air...

 and I believe the adults had as much fun as -  or more than - the children!

I'm curious to know if any of you have been there?????
(And there really WERE many beautiful trees and shurbs, flowers, a butterfly garden, a miniature railroad winding through bonsai-decorated landscape, dogwood trail, a day-lily garden
and SO much more!)

A Mini-Grove




My husband has spent many hours cleaning out his work space in our garage.  He came across a lot of scrap wood and put together some really interesting Yard Art for me!

These were made out of some cabinet doors (samples) that he'd picked up somewhere (free, of course).  After dismantling them and creating chalkboards from the middle parts of them, he had these narrow strips left over.

This is what we came up with!

Once the ground thaws, I'm going to "plant" a mini-grove
in one of our flower beds!
I'm kind of excited.

not MY yard

There's really not so much to see in our own yard today.
However, we drove through nearby Woodburn, IN
and pulled up alongside one of my favorite yards
so I could take a picture.
It sure makes a good case for "hardscape", doesn't it?
I guess not everyone would appreciate all the yard art here,
but I LOVE it!
(You probably know you can click on the pictures to enlarge them
and see more detail.....)

Three Bells and All is Well

All three
within a few feet
of each other.

Small Chores

 Trimming the dried hosta stems is a joy with this little jobber!
I just love its size and color!
The chore was smiled on by the glow 
of setting sun shining on the old tree trunk.
The effect in reality was much brighter than this!


Glass, Spheres and Circles in our Yard

 Glass Sphere
 Grape Vine Circle
 Green Glass
Blue Sphere

In the Pink

 The sedum blooms in front of our house are already turning pink!
I compared them with my pictures from last year.
They weren't this pink on the 27th in 2010, so we're ahead of last year!
*"In the pink" is an idiom meaning "in perfect condition, especially of health".)
 Above, several clumps of Surprise Lilies are in the pink among the sedum and hosta green,
while black-eyed Susan hold their own throughout the bed.
 A few hardy mums have started to bloom.
I trimmed them back around the 4th of July, but here they are.  Already blooming!
It's easy to be deceived into thinking autumn
given the cool evenings we're currently enjoying.
It may be the last year for this particular bird.
He's been vigilant at his post for more years than I realize!
My husband has repaired him to stand one more season,
but there's a limit to his endurance.

The Grand Finale?

 In spite of 93 degree temperatures yesterday, we enjoyed the 
Van Wert (Ohio) Master Gardeners' Garden Walk immensely.
As usual, my camera gravitated toward garden whimsy--
documenting and adding ideas to my ever-busy brain!


 Color, signs, and seating areas always attract my attention.

I really liked this chandelier hanging in this beautiful gazebo.
Can you read the scripted under its eaves below?
(You can click on the picture to enlarge it.)



 Whether rustic....
colorful...
 formal...
 or whimsical...
it caught my eye!
I was especially excited to meet a garden blogger (of excellence and renown),
Kylee.  See her Little Acre HERE if you haven't already met her.
We've done some serious Garden Walking the past couple of weeks!
This one may be the 2011 Grand Finale for us.
It's probably time to turn our attention to our own.