Snow Day

MLK Day Walk Along the C&O Canal

Yesterday was a pretty day, sunny and not too cold, so we decided to take a walk on the C&O Canal. We started at Lock 6 and walked about three miles.  There weren't too many people out, some walkers, some cyclists, and a couple of kids playing on the somewhat frozen surface of the canal, which made us nervous. It felt good to see the blue skies and to be out in the fresh air for awhile. Every time we walk on the canal we think about what it would have been like to live in one of these lock houses in the 1800s.  You can get an idea by staying in one of these historic lock houses, six of which have been renovated and furnished and are available for overnight stays.  Of the original 57 lock houses, 26 remain today.

Lock House 6

Early Bluebells at Riverbend

Got lots done in the garden on Sunday~~more weeding, fed my roses and hydrangeas,  spread bone meal on all the perennials. Walt edged the garden beds, cut back the crazy autumn clematis, and cleaned out the garage. I brought out the last of the succulents,  planted more pansies~~it was a good day.

In between garden chores, we went to Riverbend Park in Great Falls because I wanted to see if the bluebells were blooming yet. They had just started, so while it wasn't quite the sea of blue yet that I like,  it was still nice to see the blues beginning,  as well as several other varieties of wildflowers. Another week and it will be a stunning walk along the Potomac, with acres and acres of bluebells. Bluebells and other early wildflowers are 'spring ephemerals,' or flowers that take advantage of the sunlight hitting the forest floor before the trees leaf out and close off the sun. By May all traces of them will be gone. Bluebells ('Mertensia virginica') are native to Virginia. My fav Virginia gardener Thomas Jefferson grew bluebells at Monticello.

One interesting fact I learned is that the bluebells at Riverbend were not planted by anyone. The river, wildlife, and climate all have pitched in to create this native garden. Pretty amazing.

I loved these trees that were blooming yellow. Such a great pop of color. Not sure what they are, looking them up they may be cornelian cherry dogwoods (cornelius mas)? So cheery.

Sunday at Great Falls

Great Falls

Another snow day here today, and really, I just can't face getting all bundled up right now to go out and take pictures of yet another snowy garden. This is the winter that doesn't want to end, that's for sure. Everything is closed again, federal government, schools, libraries, yippee. Haven't seen any snowplows yet, so we won't be getting out for awhile. Yesterday, however, was pretty nice,  until later in the afternoon when a freezing rain began.  Walt and I went to Riverbend Park and walked along the Potomac River to Great Falls, about 1.5 miles each way.  There were lots of people (and dogs) out, people must have been getting in their exercise before the snow.

Potomac River

When we got to Great Falls, there was a bunch of kayakers on the Maryland side,  and we were entertained watching them all come down the Falls. Crazy.

Great Falls

Great Falls

Great Falls 

Walking the C&O Canal

We had a nice weekend, a delicious dinner with friends on Saturday, and yesterday we took a long walk along the C&O canal, starting at Lock 10 in Maryland and walking about 2.5 miles towards Georgetown and back.   It was a  beautiful fall day and we saw lots of walkers, runners, and cyclists along the way. Looking at the maps, we see lots of hiking trails we want to try on the Maryland side of Great Falls. Got to take advantage of fall walks, they're the best.

Urban Fleurs

I drive by this long wall of flowers on Route 7 every day and every time I think how much I love it. On one of the busiest streets in Northern Virginia, amidst office buildings and the mall, this long curved concrete wall has been totally covered in flowers since the spring. Such a sight! The other day I made myself stop and take some pictures and look at how they did it. There is a wooden lattice-like structure attached to the concrete, and then each section has window box-like plastic bags that are attached to the wood and the plants are planted in those. There must be hundreds, maybe thousands, of those plastic bags. It looks like they used mostly verbena, million bells, and petunias. There must be an irrigation system in the mulch below it, because believe me these plants are baking in the sun, and they have survived so far in the heat, since at least May. I wonder if they will replant them in the fall?  I love to take notice of the landscaping around urban areas and see the imaginative ways some landscapers enliven our space.

This shows some of the architecture behind the plants

Garden Tour Inspiration

Hydrangea

On Sunday I went on the garden tour in my town, the same one my garden was a part of  last year. It sure was nice to visit other gardens and not have the pressure of having my own garden perfect this year!  I was particularly excited because one of the gardens on the tour is one I walk or drive by nearly every day. This is a house that I stop and look at every time, because the owners are obviously gardeners, with specimen plants in the front yard for all to see, and 3 greenhouses in the back. They have more than 1,500 crocus and species tulips blooming in their front yard in the spring, and that is quite a sight to see. I have been dying to see the backyard for all these years, and this was my chance. I knew the guy was a gardener because he was interviewed by the Post's garden editor a few years ago about his orchids. I spent most of my time at this garden because there was so much to see--more than three acres of plants.

One thing I especially liked was all the dish gardens around the garden. The owner used dwarf conifers and succulents in many of them, they were my favorites. They get a lot of their plants through mail order nurseries--no Home Depot plants here.

There were so many shrubs and trees I have never even heard of, variegated, golden, weeping varieties. This is a variegated redwood tree and a weeping redbud.

A variegated redwood tree

Golden redwood tree

Weeping redbud

This was the path to the backyard--a shady garden filled with ferns, hostas, hellebores, azaleas, and other shade plants. That's an enormous generator on the left that powers the greenhouses.

Pretty grouping of hostas and ferns

Greenhouse filled with orchids

The gardens went on forever, much to my delight. Behind the house are several gardens with different seating areas and water features, and then the greenhouses and work areas.  There used to be a pool, but it was cracked during the earthquake a few years ago and they had it filled in and now it is another garden. Behind the greenhouses are a huge vegetable garden, raspberry patch, and blueberry patch, and a lilac grove. I was in heaven. It's so fascinating to me to see how passionate people are about their gardens. This place is obviously their life, and they put so much time, energy, and money into it. I'm glad my garden was not on the same tour, because this one was really a superstar.

Loved the working areas

And wouldn't you love to have a tiled wall depicting yourself in your garden next to the back door? It was custom made for the owners many years ago.

The mulched area is where the pool used to be

Vegetable garden

An interesting feature at another house was this rock garden along the shady side of the house. I loved the simple use of river rocks and plantings, along with a few pieces of art. 

And I'm always a sucker for fairy gardens...

I have never seen a pink oakleaf hydrangea, and I loved it. This garden also had a curbside strip of wildflowers in front of their house, which was so pretty. I've always wanted to turn that strip of grass in front of my house (the tree lawn) into a garden. Hmmm.

And I liked this colorful arrangement of pots on the steps.  I thought these were vintage pots, but the owner said he gets most of his pots at Homegoods!