Flower peeping...

It is a gorgeous day!  The sun is shining, the temperature is practically perfect with just a little chill to keep it interesting and there is a beautiful breeze.  Well, not so beautiful when you have the perfect image in your view finder and the breeze shakes it up.  That just means you get to take more time to enjoy the view while you wait for that second when the world stops bending with the wind.  Just like life...

Maine-ly flowers...

Our first walk down Ocean Ave and we found this little shop.  I had to take these images, What a lovely site for tired eyes.  August 8th

Mysterious bursts of light...

Eleven years ago, when I planted this, I knew what type of hydrangea it was. Now, it is just the huge bush that is trying to annex the azaleas turf. It has the coolest flower display though. Looks a little like fireworks to me. Ok, squint a little and don’t be so skeptical. See, you see fireworks too, right?  Fine, just humor me. July 13th

Bright side of the moon...

Moon flowers! They are in the small gardens in my front yard and they grow in spite of me. Man do they grow, tall and wild and full of flowers. They are too big for their location and last year I transplanted half the bunch trying to tame the chaos but this summer the ones left just multiplied to fill the space. However, the ones I transplanted didn’t make it in their new location. I love them so much that I can’t bring my self to move them again. I guess I will have a mini jungle of small purple and white flowers greeting all who step foot onto my front path, at least until I can find a new home they will like. It is beautiful chaos. July 11th

Peaceful…

Sunday morning, ah… July 10th

Secret garden...

Back behind my garage, regrettably hidden from view, is the most beautiful hydrangea plant. I would transplant it but I fear that it would hate its new location and wither. Right now, all on its own, it flourishes; unattended and uncared for, it puts on this flashy display of pink and purple and blue splendor. I didn’t even know that one plant could produce both pink and blue flowers. How is that possible? It is a lovely surprise each summer, right around the corner in my backyard. July 9th

Happy woodland...

Bristol, Rhode Island and Blithewold Mansion were our destination for this day. It was a bit of a stretch getting a 9 year old boy to sign on to a tour of a turn of the century, the last one not this one, mansion and its gardens. He slept all the way there and was not thrilled when he woke to find that we were going to see flowers. I think it was the sleep talking or maybe the tired but he fought me all the way to the ticket booth. Thank goodness for technology! They had a system where you would call a number on your cell phone and enter the number of the exhibit and it would tell you all about the plant, tree, etc… Halleluiah! He was hooked! Of course, the house tour did not have this system but by then he was committed. Both of us enjoyed the views. I took photos in the house until they told me I couldn’t. (There was no sign and I did not use flash! Hey, I maybe a crazy photo lady but I am responsible about it.)

Blithewold is Old English for “happy woodland”. It fits. I could picture the family living their days in this beautiful home. Put in central air and I would move in tomorrow. I have my limits, you know. Check out Blithewold on their website. Here are a few of my favorite images from the day. July 7th

Sweet reminder...

A few years ago, one of my families said thank you for their portraits with a beautiful hydrangea plant. It was such a lovely and unexpected surprise. I planted it and have been lovingly caring for it as I watched it grow. This year it bloomed! It is such a pretty reminder of such a charming family. July 3rd

Swampy marsh...

After our bird rescue and subsequent drive into the swamplands of New Jersey (it is really beautiful) we decided to take a walk through the wilds of the Great Swamp National Park. OK, so my son and I decided to walk. My husband decided to sit it out in the car because we had forgotten bug spray and it was REALLY hot and muggy: hard to argue with that logic, really.

They have wooden, some faux wooden, walking paths and bird blinds for watchers and want to be watchers. Sometimes you see snakes and other fauna. Lots of flora, too, which you know I like. Two miles and some pesky bug bites later we came back to my comfortable, cool, and unscathed husband with stories of ants building condos in semi-dead trees and a small water snake that was cleverly hidden in the water plants. Actually, if we saw him, maybe he wasn’t so clever. June 26th

'Swamp Creature to Car Daddy, come in Car Daddy.'

Faux flowers...

A trip to the local Michael’s for craft supplies is like going to a theme park! I was looking for cone shaped cookie forms (don’t ask) and found so many other things I wanted too. All for projects I will start and probably add to the pile of ones I never have time to finish. Yes, I know, if I stopped starting new ones I could probably finish off… Hey!

I am never one to turn down a photo of flowers, even silk ones. Butterflies in any form are worth capturing with my camera too. The colors are so vibrant. Perfect for the start of summer. June 22

Other people's gardens, part 3, the organic addition...

The longest day of the year, the summer solstice, and we were invited for a play date at a friend’s house. Yes, we. While my son was playing with his friends I got to have tea with mine. It was lovely. The view was lovely too. You know how much I love gardens but as the old adage says, ‘Those who can, grow. Those who can’t, take photos.’ I’m sure it is something like that. I admit I can’t but I am so appreciative of those who can.

My friend, who designed this amazing garden, doesn’t have a green thumb she has a green hand. I think she might be green all the way up to the elbow. There is so much growing everywhere and it is all so healthy and happy. She even has a vegetable garden that generously lent its leaves to my dinner salad. It was so good. These photos are just a small part of what she has growing there, yes, all the pictures have things that she is helping to grow. I think the one with the gorgeous black hair may be one of her finest achievements. She has two of those specialty plants but the other had his roots wrapped around the wii. Trust me, she grows beautiful things. June 21st