At this one we were greeted by lovely vignettes, like this one, placed around the garden and patio. Others had live music-very soothing sounds of a harp and a cello.
We saw some well known flowers such as this climbing rose.
Vining Black-eyed Susan.
Some we didn't know and weren't tagged.
This lupine was absolutely a prefect specimen!
An Oak leaf Hydrangea, which had blooms over a foot long.
These lilies are a little washed out looking due to the bright sun, but were such an unusual pale lemon color with rich brown freckles in the center.
We had no clue what this plant was. It looks a little like saliva but was more of a bush in form and was close to 5 feet tall.
Several people were taking pictures of this plant. It was sitting on top of a raised area but was still a big plant-no one seemed to know it's name.
A butterfly plant in full bloom. I know how hard these are to get started in your garden.
I just love this one. It is about a foot tall, by about that wide. Touching it's leaves and down in the center, it feels as soft as a newborn baby's blanket. It is called 'Hobbit's Foot'. and is a type of saliva.
This tree at the corner of a pergola caught my eye as I have a cousin who is growing one. Hers is not near this size yet-but have hope T. it will get there. This is a 'Staghorn' Sumac.
What could have been an unattractive garage wall was turned into a focal point with the addition of decorative birdhouses and hanging containers of plants.
I have always wanted a rock wall to stick small vining plants in!
Containers abounded in almost all of the gardens. Some were planted and some were used by themselves as focal points. I found that these pots of Caladium bulbs stuck in the shaded ground cover broke up the long expanse of green and provided subtle color for the eye to enjoy.
This low to the ground container was planted with miniature sedums and stood all by itself on the mulch. Sometimes less is better.
And then there were water features!
From gardens that extended into a lake...
where I finally was able to get a picture of one of the zillions of dragonflies,
to this simple, but wonderfully calming, water jar that set off perfectly this small area of plants.
This one pond was in a tiny back yard, but was beautifully landscaped and seem quite the peaceful retreat. There is a hippo in the center.
And they had beautiful water lilies.
A waterfall graced the entry way of this house. But as Rose said there was no place for them to sit and enjoy it's beauty.
Lisa, this is for you! When I saw this chartreuse door, I knew I had to show it. Talk about adding a focal point in an otherwise neutral area. For those of you who don't know, Lisa has a purple garden shed. I think she could paint her doors and windows this color to show case her shed even more.
I would like to acknowledge thanks to all who opened their gardens to us, and to the wonderful people who did so much to help put this show together. It was well appreciated. Now I have a severe case of garden envy! But, back in my world of weeds, needing-mulch, struggling garden, I am satisfied with what I have accomplished. And though mine will never look like the ones we visited, it is my garden and I love it!
