Lilypons Gardens

Lotus

On Sunday I dragged Walt out to Lilypons Water Gardens in Buckeystown, Md., on probably one of the hottest days of the summer.  This place has been on my list of go-to places for a long time.  Lilypons was started way back in 1917, when a Frederick County landowner turned his goldfish and waterlily hobby into a business that is still doing well today. Lilypons is well known for their mail order business selling supplies, plants, and fish for water gardening, as well as for their many demonstration ponds and gardens. I think there are more than 50 ponds on 300 acres of land,  filled with water lilies, bog plants, and fish.

There were lots of waterlilies, but I was especially enthralled with these huge ponds filled with lotus (below).  I loved everything about them, their huge leaves, the blooms, and the seedpods. The plants are so big and full that at first it doesn't even look like a pond, until you get closer and see the water and hear the croaking of bull frogs! There is a ton of wildlife around, as you can imagine, and it is a destination for birdwatchers. We heard lots of bull frogs, but fortunately didn't see any snakes.

Ponds full of lotus

Lotus flowers

Love these lotus leaves

Waterlilies

We didn't spend a lot of time there because of the heat, the humidity, and the bugs, but it was a lovely drive through Maryland farmland.  There is a wholesale nursery on Buckeystown Road,  with acres and acres of trees and plants that I find just mesmerizing.  We stopped to look around for a few minutes and I was immediately drawn to a row of redbud trees with the most incredible colors. I have never seen this variety before,  called Cercis 'Rising Sun.'  As we headed home, we were ready for a cold treat, so we stopped at Rocky Point Creamery near Point of Rocks for some home made ice cream--yummo.

Cercis 'Rising Sun' (Redbud tree)

Maryland cornfields

Friday Fleurs: July

Friday morning rain

It's been pouring rain since about 10 pm last night, and is supposed to rain all day today too. My  flowers are happy. Fortunately I took these pictures of Friday's fleurs last night before the rain began. Happy weekend!

Hosta blooms

Hyacinth bean leaf

Scarlet zinnia

Variegated Solomon's Seal and Vinca

'Profusion' Zinnias

Daylily

Purple Coneflower

Hosta blooms

Lazy Days in the Garden

'There is a brief time in July when the gardener has nothing to do but enjoy his flowers. Oh, there may be a few  things, like tying in the dahlias, discreetly staking the chrysanthemums, picking off the dead water lilies, keeping an eye on the roses for black spot, soaking the azaleas and camellias, cutting the grass, tying in the huge new canes of climbing rose, and like that.' -- Henry Mitchell, in The Essential Earthman

I appreciate that passage from one of Henry Mitchell's books, The Essential Earthman. These hot and humid days in July are really easy times in the garden,  with not that much to do except pull the occasional weed, do some deadheading, and maybe cut back some perennials like (perennial) geraniums. It's nice things work out that way because it is just too hot to be working outside these days. And everything is so lush right now, because we have had plenty of rain so far this year, unusual for us it seems.

However, for a garden blogger, it's not easy to come up with things to write about right now. Real life sometimes interferes with my garden and photo routines, with travels, moving children, out of town guests,  chaos at work. But this is a good time to sit back and enjoy the garden, especially in the cooler evenings with a cup of tea or a glass of wine and a friend or two. I also like to sit back and try to look at my garden objectively, to see what needs improving, what could be moved, what I could change. There's always something.

And then there is the fragrance. The other night as I was walking past my garden I was stopped short by such strong fragrance and realized it was all my phlox-- 'Miss Lingard,' 'David,' 'Franz Schubert,' and a few other varieties. I was mesmerized by the scent, not wanting to leave it. I wanted to get a chair and sit right in the middle of it. On a hot humid evening it was so strong and lovely and surprising.

'But by and large it is a time of leisure, different from the panic of the great fall planting season and free from that sense of frantic tidying up that afflicts the spring.  If you have planned ahead, in fact, this respite can last even into August and Steptember. A garden planned for late August (and for January as well) will give the greatest pleasure, because spring and early sumer tend to take care of themselves. Even a little thought for these too neglected months will go far in keeping the gardener from uttering and snapping. But the average gardener pays too little attention to August and September, and it may be safely said that the average garden goes to pot on July 16 as regular as clockwork.'

I'll have to be attentive and see how my garden fares on July 16!

"Welcome Morning"

"Welcome Morning"

by Anne Sexton

There is joy

in all:

in the hair I brush each morning,in the Cannon towel, newly washed,

that I rub my body with each morning,

in the chapel of eggs I cook

each morning,

in the outcry from the kettle

that heats my coffee

each morning,

in the spoon and the chair

that cry "hello there, Anne"

each morning,

in the godhead of the table

that I set my silver, plate, cup upon

each morning.

All this is God,

right here in my pea-green house

each morning

and I mean,

though often forget,

to give thanks,

to faint down by the kitchen table

in a prayer of rejoicing

as the holy birds at the kitchen window

peck into their marriage of seeds.

So while I think of it,

let me paint a thank-you on my palm

for this God, this laughter of the morning,

lest it go unspoken.

The Joy that isn't shared, I've heard,

dies young.

Friday Fleurs

I tried my best to get some pictures of the fireworks last night,  but this was the best I could do. Obviously I have a lot to learn. We had a quiet day yesterday, mostly spent outside trying to tidy up the garden.  And it was so HOT.  Looks like we are in for several days of really hot and steamy weather. Walt also spent several hours assembling our new gas grill--my dad's old Weber grill finally bit the dust after 20 plus years. Not bad, but I'm sad to see it go!

I haven't taken any flower pictures lately, so here's a glimpse at what is blooming in my garden right now. I love these drumstick alliums--they are a bulb I planted  several years ago. The trick is not to pull them out in the spring when they start coming up--they look just like wild onions and I have definitely done that and then wondered where they were.

This is Eryngium--it is such an interesting color of blue, it almost looks artificial.

Phox

Phlox 'Franz Schubert'

Daylily

Begonias and million bells in pots

I also started pulling out the larkspur and of course scattered its seeds all around the garden so that I will have it again next year.

Atlanta Bound

Leaving Chapel Hill

Well I have certainly been missing from the blogosphere lately, and I am having a hard time getting back in the routine. We have been in Chapel Hill and Atlanta the past week, helping Julia move out of her lovely group house in Chapel Hill and into an apartment in Atlanta. We stayed in Julia's house the first night, sleeping on an air mattress in her room, but after the smoke alarm started chirping during the night we had to move the air mattress into another room. Julia woke up and was so confused, what were we doing, dragging the mattress down the hall?  It was one of those laughing so hard moments, at 2:30 in the morning. Needless to say we didn't sleep very well. The next day we finished loading up the truck and were off for Atlanta. We have had a great time visiting Chapel Hill, and will miss visiting her there.  It is a great town, lovely neighborhoods, lots of restaurants and fun things to do--like most college towns I guess.

And one last stop for BLTs at Merritt's in Chapel Hill...

Then we were off, and of course I had to take a picture of the Peach water tower in Gaffney, South Carolina, especially after watching House of Cards. So attractive.

We arrived in Atlanta about 5:00 and unloaded the truck quickly, as Julia took charge and was apparently fixated on moving everything in record time.  We were exhausted, so found a nice Mexican restaurant in her neighborhood and after a few margaritas, we were feeling much better. Her apartment is in a great area of Atlanta, lots of bars and restaurants right down the street, as well as small markets and cute little shops. A wine bar and a coffee shop are right outside her building--perfect. And she can walk right out her door to the BeltLine, which is a trail that was built on 19th century railroad tracks that will eventually circle the city. It was busy all day with cyclists, walkers and runners, roller bladers, and families.

Julia's new apartment

The next day we unpacked boxes, made the requisite visit to Target (how many times have I done this?), and then met up with her friend Max for drinks at a neighborhood wine bar. They have been friends since their UVA days, and he lives in Atlanta now, so it is nice that she has a friend there.

In and around her neighborhood...

Garden shop

Yes please

Georgia peaches

Downtown Atlanta from Piedmont Park

 One of Julia's best friends from growing up (and the daughter of my friend Gillian) lives in Atlanta too, so we met up with her and her husband on Sunday night for dinner in Decatur, where they live. They have a house there with a garden and chickens so we got to meet the chicks.  It was great to see Maggie and Rick, especially since they are expecting their first bebe next month!

Old friends, Maggie and Julia

Piedmont Park