Thursday, July 18, 2013

This Texas Botanical Garden Is So Worth A Visit


The Fort Worth Botanical Garden in Fort Worth, Texas is gorgeous.
Classic columns


 frame a view of a rocky waterfall.


Gorgeous urns, overflowing with vines and blooms.


Arched trellises covered in climbing roses


and a formal rose garden


with fountains.


What you can't tell from these photos is that the day I visited it was a chilly day in May, so much so that I was wishing I had gloves on my hands, something I didn't consider I would need here. But the gardens were inviting enough to walk despite the cold.


Though I do love seeing pictures of gardens, I always enjoy visiting a garden without any previous information. Without expectations there is less disappointment and it is a great feeling to be pleasantly surprised by what you find--a lesson I am still trying to learn and apply to my life.  Beautiful azaleas were in bloom, which I really didn't expect to see here and 





and the pink roses and blue salvia were seemingly in perfect condition.


Oak trees are amazing to me because of the sculptural effect of the branches that go long and wide, and get a little twisted like lightning bolts in the sky.


There are several different gardens in this 110-acre botanical garden, one of the oldest gardens in Texas that is free with the exception of the Japanese garden, which has a nominal fee but is worth every penny to see, not to mention the tranquility you will feel.

This is GardenEnvy.



Copyright 2013 by Jeannine at www.gardenenvy.net. GardenEnvy logo by dezine9. All Rights Reserved.









Sunday, July 7, 2013

Decidedly Spanish Garden, Definitely In San Diego



Stepping into this San Diego garden
in the Mission Hills neighborhood


 is like a step back in time and into another country. Whether
on the hillside of this 1930's Spanish revival style home and garden,


 in the walled front courtyard patio,


or while I was wandering the two-level backyard patio and terrace--I couldn't help but be reminded of Sevilla in Spain, which I loved for its architectural style as well as the tapas and Sangria.


There are yellow and orange toned walls, red tile roofs,
black wrought iron gates and light fixtures,


 and lots of blue and yellow tiles,


especially in the lower garden, which includes a covered patio 
with fireplace and built in seating.


The sound of water from fountains seem to be everywhere, 


as are the arches on fountains, windows and entryways. 
This red leafed euphorbia commands a lot of attention in this garden,
and the sun casts a beautiful glow on its leaves.


Jim, the current president of the San Diego Horticultural Society, has been gardening here along with his partner Scott for 15 years. The amount of time he spends in the garden amounts to more than what most people consider a full-time job. He has a large collection of succulents and cacti: agaves in cobalt blue pots, echeveria in whimsical pots,


and tillandsias, or air plants, tucked into gaps in a brick wall


and in rain chains.


And although from the inside this garden may feel like Southern Spain, the jaw dropping and full, 180-degree view of Mission Valley, looking southwest


to the southeast, brings me back to the here and now: San Diego, Southern California.

This is GardenEnvy.