Gardens to love

Camellia sasanqua ‘Survivor’ 

Aptly named, this beauty produces an abundance of flowers from October through December, sometimes, if mild enough into January.  The flowers are wonderfully fragrant, and, like the name suggests, it pulls through hard winter cold snaps without a problem.   Early hard frosts will damage open blossoms, but, buds for the future blossoms are protected and will open during the next mild break in the weather.

Virginia bluebells !!!   

A quick scramble down a 25′ rock ledge takes one to this magical woodland place.

An ephemeral surprise each spring when the floodplain below the ledge our home is built on becomes a sea of blue.  A few pink and white one’s mingle in with the blue masses.  

Winter came for a visit.   Snow and ice encrusted landscape giving the gardener a beauty break from landscape chores   :)

Catching the light -

Japanese Maples irridescent in the late autumn morning sun.  One last glorious show for the season.  

Rich, vibrant colors of fall.    Cool weather intensifiying the colors and starting the season off.   

A challenging year for sure, but, thankfully, there are silver linings now and then.

Summer -  it is here!!!

Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower and her children starting out the season.  

Third week of May and the garden is full of lush new growth, and, purple, lots of purple !

Mid May and the garden beds are filling in fast!   Gorgeous sparkles of color brought by the Alliums, Amsonia,Peonies, Salvia and Thalictrum.  

Early May promises -  

Meadow dwellers adding quite the different look to a semi cultivated garden allowed to run on the wild side.   

Pictured are Willowleaf Amsonia  with it’s steely blue flower buds poised to unfurl add a nice foil to the almost finished Shooting Stars.   Then - there’s that Baptisia - Ivory Towers - a commanding presence with dark, dusky stems and promises of the gorgeous spires of white flowers to come.   

Finding calm in the storm.   

A beautiful morning walk along the Bull Run through a haze of bluebells.  Followed by a return trip at days end for some close ups of the ephemeral treasures.    

May everyone be safe  ~ prayers for those who have been lost, those who are fighting this illness, and, those brave souls who care for them.