LADEW GARDENS

One of the outing my sister and I did last week during our travels was to visit the

Ladew Topiary Gardens outside of Baltimore, MD.

They have been called "The Most Outstanding Topiary Garden in America", by the

Garden Club of America.

Both the gardens and the house are on the National Register of Historic Places.

A very knowledgeable lady took us through the house, then we were on our own to browse the gardens.

Harvey S Ladew (1887-1976) designed and created his unique 22 acres of flower and topiary gardens after purchasing the farm in 1929.

Mr Ladew was a self taught gardener, and one of the first Americans to create garden rooms.
There's hope for me.





This is the Tivoli Teahouse, it was designed after the Tivoli Theatre ticket booth.

The inside was very sweet, I wish I had taken pictures.





The garden played host to many topiaries such as lyrebirds, hunt scenes, swans, ducks and much more. The trimming of the topiaries begin in July and take three months to complete.





This was a wonderful hunt scene.






Another structure on the grounds, this one in the Yellow Garden.




On the pond we found this boat...

...and in the water.





This was the Iris garden, and amazingly there were some bloomings.

A private residence on the grounds, wouldn't you just love it!

View looking back in the opposite direction from the cottage.

Happy Gardening

UNEXPECTED SURPRISES

Have you ever been traveling and come across something that just takes your breath away?

It happen to my sister and I while traveling through Maryland.



We were in search of the Ladew Topiary Gardens and came across this.

If we had never found the garden, the day was made!

Susan with a smile on her face.

Sunflowers, as far as the eye could see.

I died and went to Heaven!

Happy Gardening everyone.

AMISH COUNTRY

Back home today after a week of travel. Susan and I took a road trip up to Leonardtown Maryland. We visited our brother Rick and his wife Terry for a few days, then up to New York to see my niece Kate and her boyfriend, Dylan.

One of the day trips we took was to an Amish Farmer's Market.

It was late in the day when we got there and Terry told us many of the vendors were already gone. It was still amazing to our eyes. The flowers and produce was beautiful.

The rows of pumpkins put us in the mood for Halloween and Fall decorating.

Even though it was late, people were still shopping for their dinners.

If we hadn't been traveling, I would have taken these home!

Mouth watering watermelon.

One of the things I love about traveling is it gives you a chance to glimpse other people and their lifestyles. It makes you either jealous or thankful, or maybe a little of both.

THE BIG CITY

Susan and I are on the road this week. We have been in the Chesapeake Bay area in Maryland visiting our brother Rick and his lovely wife Terry. Now we are in Jersey City visiting my niece Kate. I've taken lots of pictures and can't wait to share our adventures. Last night we went to see Memphis on Broadway, it was fabulous. We've got one more day in NYC, then it's on the road again for home.

THE GARDEN SHED

When we moved into our home about five years ago it came with a small tan

metal out-building we call our gardening shed.

It was very generic, very blah, very ugly.

We decided the best thing to do was to try and camouflage it because we absolutely needed the space for our gardening tools, outdoor grill, bird seed, etc.

We added some wood lattice and have been trying to cover it with various climbers. It looks much better, from this angle anyway, but I do still have a case of garden shed envy. Every time I open a gardening magazine that features a cute little gardening shed, I start to drool.

Sometimes I think I'd like something whimsical.




At other times maybe something rough and rustic.




Or maybe sweet and cute.



It might not even be a shed at all, just a space that represents
my personality.





I'm pretty sure I'd want color.





I know I would want something inviting and big enough that I could see whats what.





This one could possibly have my name on it.

No, maybe this one.

This is the shed for me, rustic, yet charming and not too perfect.

But then again who knows what my little tan outbuilding will look like in five more years

when it has become entangled with sweet ivy, clematis, and all kinds of other blooming climbers.


All images, with the exception of the first one are compliments of

Google Image.

Happy Gardening!

WHAT'S BLOOMING NOW

Meet Johnny Cole. Johnny is our yard guy, we inherited him from the previous owner, and I'm so very glad we did. Johnny mows our yard every week as needed, for we do not own a mower. I've never met anyone as good natured and helpful as our Mr. Cole. He is a bit challenged, but that has never slowed him down. He's such a hard worker and always stays busy with yard work and odd jobs within the neighborhood. John rides his bike everywhere, he does not drive or read. Last week Johnny had a birthday, we snapped this picture in celebration.

Here is whats blooming in our East Tennessee garden now.

Rose of Sharon
Four O clocks
(pink, yellow and white)

My Clematis has had another go.

One of my favorite Fall flowers, Autumn Clematis.

This monster is actually three plants combined,
Forsythia, Wild Honeysuckle, and my favorite Autumn Clematis.
Another treasure we inherited from the previous owners.

Isn't it lovely?

Still some color on the back patio, thanks to our pots.

These cushions were an unexpected gift from a friend last week.

I love them, they are perfect with the colors of the back yard.

Thanks Maryann!

In the front yard our Lantana is, as always spectacular.



We mixed the red and yellow this year.

Happy gardening everyone.