Herb and Garden

Eye Candy for the Soul

I had a chance to go see the preview of Huntington's Japanese garden rehab; it's not complete by any means, but it did get me into their gardens for a few hours of R&R.  The beauty, as usual, was overwhelming, and since I am recovering from an injury, I walked slower than usual and took it all in gently and peacefully, taking lots of time to just sit and listen to the birds sing, hear the water move in trickling streams and fountains, smell the flowers, and just take a deep breath and let all that beauty embrace me.  Here, in photographic form, is a bit of eye candy from my day:

Goose visit on the lawn

The Bard looking exceptionally well...

Red Japanese maple with purple wisteria in the background

 

Breath-taking colors

 










 







 

I wish you could smell this lilac!

Lovely girl in traditional costume

 










 



 

 






 

 I'd meant to stay after lunch and take in a bit of my favorite museum art, but was too tired; pain is somewhat exhausting.  So nice to know this place of respite is always there, waiting for my return.

 



Happy Blues
 

Blue flowers fascinate me; I have a great deal morning glory taking over the yard, each flower face a deep sky blue midday,  but then glowing purple as the late afternoon moves towards dusk.  My poor husband is constantly cutting them out of other plants where they insidiously twist and vine, but make gorgeous everything they invade.  Another beautiful blue monster is the plumbago, constantly shedding its pale blue flowers like the morning sky.  When I was a child I made "corsages" out of them, since they have a natural gluey quality that allowed them stick to my clothes.  Now when we need to work near them, they do stick to our clothes, all over them in fact, and God help you if they get into your long hair!  But they are  so darned beautiful!

I love the deep cobalt intensity of lobelia, but the ones I just put in around the pond have been eaten to the nubs by my wretched chickens.  The foul fowl have an entire yard to nibble, but they must find the allure of blue flowering plants irresistible. The eat the morning glories too, but that plant is such a behemoth that they are no match for it.  My tiny lobelia plants, alas, are no more.

What is the allure of blue flowers? I can't  speak for the chickens,  but the blue flower is a symbol of Romanticism, of the infinite, of love, of deep and subtle beauty.  Blue flowers encompass the elements of both sky and water, and as a water baby myself (always drawn to water), it's little wonder I am drawn to blue flowers.

Sky and water flowers they are.

Enter to Win Free Garden Furniture

Apparently you can enter every day for this contest, so go back daily to increase your chances.  Free is a good price!  Thanks, Enzie, for this link.

http://giveaway.hortmag.com/

Restorative Beauty

Here are more pictures from the Huntington Library.  It is a place that is full of visual delights, and all the pictures here are of the gardens.

  I loved the juxtaposition of the red rocks and succulents below:

 

The fish looked like they were swimming through the tree and the sky"Tut, tut, looks like rain"And a rather phallic cactus.This bridge is carved entirely of white granite; the afternoon shadows add to  the design.

Lotus!The top top of the garden wall curves like the back of a dragon...The colors of this plant were lovely, dark pink and purples against the sea green.

There are many places for quiet contemplation.  We love this place because it encourages us to stop and soak in the beauty.

Bee skeps or bird houses always intrigue me.