Last weekend, I visited my mom and Dave and greatly admired their gorgeous spring garden. I took a load of photos both outside and inside the greenhouse. Please let me know which you think is the best!
Under their showcase dogwood in the back, they keep lots of chairs and a teak table that stands on a leveled berm they installed a few years ago. The flattened area is covered with quartz stones and framed in landscape ties. It's a wonderful setting for a picnic.
There are several ways to enter the garden. This is the view from the entry to the right of the house (as the house faces the road). It's also the view after you exit the Florida room and come down the deck stairs looking to your left. Right now, the azaleas are vibrant in hues of fushcia and peach.
Mom is especially proud of her matching bleeding heart shrubs by the kitchen door. They also butt up against one of the very pink azealas.
Mom's probably cringing because right after I took that photo she cleaned the bird bath. I should have taken an "after" photo.
Usually, my plants bloom before Mom's do, but in this case, her irises bloom earlier. Mine are just beginning, so I'll be taking photos this week. Speaking of irises, today I'll be visiting the
Presby Iris Gardens with two of my Montclair friends, Ken and Tanya. Go see the irises now, it's prime time!
That was probably my favorite photo.
Not a great photo, but the colors are true. You could probably see Mom's plants from space.
On this plant, Mom said that she had thinned it out like a bonsai tree. I think it looks interesting -- more than the pink one.
This view is from the other side of the azealas, up toward the back of the property, near the swing. You can see the pink dogwood that helps frame the garage side of the house when cars enter the driveway.
Deep purple irises, nearly black in appearance.
I really enjoy the hellebores. I've seen them in other colors, but not often like the ones here.
Mom and Dave have red and yellow trilliums. They always make me think of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Yes, that's exactly what kind of nerd I am.
Now, we move into the greenhouse for a show of what's in bloom at this moment:
Rather spectacular, isn't it?
I suggested that Mom should start her own orchid/garden blog when she retires to keep up her writing every day. I hope she does it.
An off-season Christmas cactus.
