Brookgreen Garden South Carolina from November

The Singing Tower at Bok Tower Gardens

Bok Tower Gardens National Historic Landmark in Lake Wales, Florida.
This garden located at 300 feet above sea level;
the recorded highest point in Florida .

The Singing Tower built in 1927-1929 houses the Carillon
made up of 60 bronze bells, weighing 16 lbs to 11+ tons.

The Carillon (60 bells) reside at the very top of the tower

behind these lovely tiled grilles.

Heron and Eagle sculptures were craved in place
at the top and base of the tower.

Edward Bok's study was at ground level complete with a large fireplace.
He is buried not far from the front entrance.

The tower was not in the original 250 acre garden plan
that surrounds the structure.
In all the natural beauty of the Gardens,
Bok believed something was missing.
Remembering the glorious sound of carillons in his native Netherlands,
he decided to build a beautiful Singing Tower
as the focal point of the Gardens.
Architect, Milton B Medary was commissioned to design and build
the majestic Singing Tower.

A Tropical place

The Camellia trees were just starting to bloom in Early November.

Spanish moss drapes and decorates nearly every tree.
We learned at the Orlando History Center that it was also
worn by the women of the Timucua Indian tribe.

The orange groves were just starting to ripen their fruit.
It was really something to see mile upon mile of orange trees heavy with fruit.

We flew to Florida just as 22 inches of snow arrived in NH.

An afternoon stop at Cocoa Beach.

We spent a relaxing week taking in the beautiful weather and tropical fauna.
Glad we weren't home in New Hampshire with heavy snow creating power outages.
We only lost three large oak limbs in our yard.

You can't always stop......to take a picture!

I have to thank Kim over at kitchenwindowbirder.blogspot.com for posting this picture on her web site. I have wanted to pull the car over on the highway every morning and take a similar picture of 5 or 6 turkey vultures who roost in the tops of trees standing in a swamp. The State Police frown on that. I tried to think of some hair brained emergency that would allow me to pull up next to the guardrail so I could snap a few pictures but nothing came to mind.

I'm guessing they were hunkered down looking dejected waiting for the rain to stop and the sun to shine just like the rest of us.

Garden Harvest

WE HAVE CUCUMBERS!
I easily pick 3 to 5 every day.
I've given them to relatives, neighbors and co-workers.
I've made salads and salads and salads.
What else you wonder could you do with cucumbers?
Soup, yup done that.
I've pureed them and made cucumber cubes to toss in soup this winter.
My favorite is Cucumber limeade.

Puree a couple of peeled, seeded cucumbers, add 1 1/2 cups cold water, juice from one lime, 1/2 cup sugar (I used maple syrup) and 1/2 tsp of kosher salt and crushed ice. Very refreshing.

I planted herbs in and around the veggies and flowers.

This year I planted scarlet runner pole beans.
Very pretty red blossom and huge beans I believe I leave on to dry.

Was away, got a nasty cold, visit from Irene...everything is back to normal

We went to St. Louis for of a National Tax Conference. It took place at the Hyatt which is right on the park. Just a walk across the road to the ARCH. Well, I failed to take any good pictures of the arch. It's actually so massive that it is quite a challenge to get a good shot. This one is actually taken in the negative.
And of course you can't be in St. Louis without visiting the Anheuser Busch brewery. Just a few miles down the road. This is the original Brew House from 1891 still in operation today.
On our first day in the city we had beautiful 80 degree weather and headed for the Missouri Botanical Garden. We walked for a good two hours and then had lunch in the new cafe.
This fence surrounds the formal rose garden. I love these fun blown glass rays of sun. And we saw other blown glass pieces incorporated through out the garden.

This is the Jewel Box located in Forest Park, home of the 1904 World's Fair.

Half way through the week I got the head cold. I'm guessing I just was not careful enough about washing may hands while in the airport and plane. Coming home on the plane I was so congested that the pressure in my ears was unbearable. When we landed at 1am I couldn't hear out of either ear and that lasted for two days.

We escaped any major hit from Irene. She just left 3 inches of rain and leaves everywhere.
And we are happy to report that our daughter & son-in-law are fine in coastal Stella NC they are now waiting for the power to come back on.

pink

Bits of the the garden

"There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments."
-- Janet Kilburn Phillips

Innisfree Garden, Millbrook NY

On our way to Gettysburg PA for a family reunion we stopped
at this 150-acre public garden for a break from the highway traffic.

A 40 acre glacial lake occupies the center of the cup
at the Innisfree garden estate.

Shelburne Vermont

Round Barn

Shelburne Farm Inn

Guarding the Lake

We wandered up to Burlington Vermont for the Fourth of July.

A meadow walk .....observations

I took a mid-day walk in the local park near work.
It is an old pasture with lots of wildflowers.

The earth and plants heated by the sun produced a wonderful fragrance
as I walk up the hill toward the inviting shade of the woods.

Indian Paintbrushes we called these as kids.

Wild Sweet Pea, a new one for me.

Blue Vetch, beautiful in the wild with these milk weed plants
and briars but you never want it in your garden!

Pink Mountain Laurel

Red clover

Coming back to the office after my traipse I find this fellow
sunning on the walkway.