More Gardens in Springtime

 OK, I know, I keep sharing gardens in my part of the world. I am finding gardens is my thing in springtime for sure, but maybe even in other seasons too.  This post is picture heavy, but enjoy!! I certainly enjoyed snapping pictures and enjoying each cloudy, spring day.

Adelman's Peony Gardens was the goal this week. You know I am always up for an adventure.

I did come home with 6 peony buds, which are now in full bloom in my apartment.

They are perfection and don't really look real, but they are.

But, we found a new garden too. My daughter, Jill, took us to one near her house, the Rare Plant Institute. It has a sale one weekend a year in their greenhouses. The parking lot was full of plant lovers and kids too. The kids may not have been as thrilled, but what an amazing adventure to learn in the garden.

There were several ponds at the top of the hill. Whew! I made it up the hill and was greeted with this beauty. Oh how I love calla lilies.

They also had a vineyard and were doing a wine tasting. In the distance you can see the greenhouses and parking lot.

I don't know what this plant is called, but my daughter took a small one home. I will be watching it grow in her garden now. This is the plant she went for. It was quite spectacular. She is creating a pink and black garden in front of her house. How fun and what a combination of colors. 

We were greeted by this sea of rock garden flowers. Oh how I wished I could bring a bunch of them home, but sadly my little patio is already full.

No matter that only one peony bouquet came home with me, it was a delight to my soul.

What is delighting your soul this week?

Sending love,

Marilyn

Peony

" Generally symbolic of love, honor, happiness wealth, romance, and beauty, the peony is traditionally given on special occasions as an expression of goodwill, best wishes, and joy."

 

 

A peony getting ready to bloom in my garden this very morning.

 Greek mythology says that peonies stood for healing and were often put on burial sights. 

Peonies come in different shapes, sizes and colors.

My tree peony bloomed a month ago. Regular peonies are blooming now. All but the top flower were photographed at Adelman Peony Gardens near Salem, Oregon. It is quite a beautiful place to visit, even on a rainy day.

 

I came home with a bouquet of coral ones similar to these two. They lasted about a week in a vase and just sang to my soul. Fascinating that the last couples days they turned a soft yellow. They lost the sunshine in the color, but still shown beautifully.

The rain was coming down in buckets, but I just had to run to the field for a quick shot. It was magnificent, but very wet.

 

In the display gardens they married the peonies with both lupines and iris; quite a spectacular sight.

Hoping you have moments to stop and savor the glorious spring flowers around you.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Sharing the Garden with a Friend

 

 This month the Lan Su Chinese Garden is celebrating AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander) Heritage Month. As you follow along in this post you will see the color yellow which they are using for this celebration. 

A friend had never been to the gardens; so yesterday she visited with me and we shared tea together as we celebrated a beautiful spring day.

There were clothes representing each of the ethnic groups on display.

Spring was definitely in the garden.

It was lovely to sit over a good cup of oolong tea and a mooncake. My sort of perfect day.

The teahouse really beckoned to sit awhile.

A walk over the bridge. We did spot a few koi, but the water was rather murky. I thought of the song "Bridge over Troubled Waters" as I peered down. Normally we have a better view of the fish.

Some glimpses of yellow in the lanterns and flowers.

Well there were other colors too, but I was noticing the yellow for the celebration.

There was an art show of Japanese Mending. I was fascinated. It is visible mending in beautiful stitches and patterns. I am really tempted to try it on some vintage quilt squares I have tucked away.

"Sashiko is the Japanese art of repairing fabric with geometrical patterns to give it strength and beauty. It is similar to the kintsugi technique of repairing objects with gold."

Because yellow is my favorite color, it just made me smile to see the yellow lanterns.

It was a special day to spend with a friend in the garden.

I hope you too find opportunities to enjoy springtime and share with a friend.

Sending love,

Marilyn