Brookside Gardens - August 2013

Our stroll through Brookside Gardens this month was the shorter circuit - similar to last month - because of the construction around the large ponds and the tea house that wouldn’t be finished until sometime this winter. There was a still a lot to see. Like last month - flying insects were enjoying the garden. I photographed a dragonfly resting perched on some straw on stone edge of a pool and a tiger swallowtail feeding on a flower.

The rose garden is better than usual for August because the weather this year has not been hot for prolonged periods. I like the ones that are several colors the best.

Of course the larger views of the garden are lush this time of year. In this image - the sycamore towers in the distance with green hedge and plants with colorful foliage and flowers growing vigorously in raised beds.

I noticed the zinnias and realized that the ones I have in pots at home are hybrids that have gone native. They have a single row of petals rather than the dense rows on these flowers. I still like mine with their delicate color - different on the top and the bottom of the petal. And the butterflies and hummingbirds like them too.

The bloom time for the lotus is past and the seed pods are all that remains. Even the seeds are already gone.

The pendulous Angel Trumpet (Brugmansia) has many flowers and they sway with each little breeze. In past years these plants were primarily in the conservatory but they are in several of the outdoor beds this year.

I noticed some new looking shelf fungus on a stump visibile through the foilage. It will be interesting watching them grow and mature in upcoming visits.

And those are the highlights from the walk around Brookside.

Zooming in the Garden

Ordinary things become quite different with the ability of modern cameras to magnify. I’ve collected some recent favorites below.

Do you see the pollen on the bee?

What about the veins in the tiger swallowtail wing? They almost look like pleats.

The jumble of curves of pink lilies.

A glorious white on white of a gardenia flower.

The red hues of a hibiscus petal.

The fractures of a drying lotus seed pod.

The spiral of an unfurling rose.

The alien looking center of a water lily flower.

Brookside Gardens - July 2013

Brookside Gardens in July - full of lush green backdrop to colorful blooms. I’m starting off this post with critters rather than plants - because I was so pleased with the images I captured. The first was a dragonfly perched on a water lily flower that was just beginning to open. Instead of darting away, it seemed to pose for a picture.

The hummingbird moth on the butterfly bushes was always on the move. This one was red and black and a little larger than the one on my Blazing Star flowers included in my July 10th post. I had seen this same type of moth at Brookside in 2011 but had missed seeing one last summer.

And finally - there were robins everywhere. I took a few pictures and was surprised to discover when I got home and reviewed my images on a large screen that one of the robins was banded - on both legs!

There was a bit of whimsy in the pool with the lily pads: toy ducks. Two of the little ones looked to be sinking. The large one had been given a straw hat.

The lotus plants were full of large leaves. The white flowers were close to the railing - positioned well for photographs.My favorite was one that showed a flower with a seed pod just beginning, a seed pod that had already shed the rest of the flower and a bud. I'll check the lotus patch every time I go to Brookside until frost! A flower with pink edges nestled among the leaves almost hidden from view.

And now for the slide show with the rest of the best from my July walk around the gardens.

Rose Hips

A few weeks ago - one of the views from the hospital window was an open area with rust colored trees and green grass. A few days ago I found myself in the area. It was in front of the outpatient building of the hospital. The rust colored foliage was mostly on the tiles of the walk.

I had not been able to see the rosebushes from the hospital window - but from the ground they were the high point of small area. The cold temperatures of the last week or so had dried some of the roses in place and the rose hips were a nice orange to contrast with the yellow of the dried roses.

Finding a small beautiful place among the cluster of buildings was a great way to end the flurry of medical appointments.