OATLANDS PLANTATION, LEESBURG, VIRGINIA

My post today is from Oatlands Plantation. The last time we visited was in May 2016.  As we wanted to go for a ride in the countryside and go for a walk at the same time, we stopped at the plantation.  The grounds are ideal for getting our exercise. If you would like to learn more, you can click on its name in red lettering above.  (Any red lettering throughout any of my posts is a link to more information.)

We had intended to go on a tour of the house, but the last tour of the day had already started.  No matter, we had a lovely time in the open air, which was our intended purpose anyhow.  The weather was glorious!  The first photo of the house is the front view.  It is hard to get a good photo head on as it has a very large tree obstructing the view.  The second photo is taken of the back, and the third is a side view as we walk along the narrow, pebbly road back to our car. 

The first few lines on its history says: "In 1798 a young bachelor named George Carter inherited 3,408 acres of prime Loudoun County, Virginia farmland.  Carter was a descendant of one of Virginia's first families."  More of the Carter history at Oatlands can be found here.  

In 1903 it was bought by William Corcoran Eustis and his wife Edith Livingston Morton.  Their history can be found here.

I have been looking forward to Spring for many reasons.  One is to see the Dogwoods bloom again.  This beauty is the State Flower of Virginia.  I enjoyed reading about it at this link, and I enjoyed taking photos.

Wild Violets are everywhere you walk.  It looked like the grass was blooming purple.

They made a pretty carpet effect on the lawn but not everyone wants them in their garden, from what I read.  The wild ones spread through underground rhizomes. Here is a link you can read about them.

We stopped off at the Visitor Center first.  It is called the Carriage House.

Below, if you enlarge the photo, you will be able to read a few things about the Eustis family.

The pathway leading up to the center is made of bricks engraved with people's names and sometimes organizations.

You enter and exit out of the gift shop.  Clever people, they know how to throw out that hook.  The lady behind the counter was very friendly and started chatting immediately.  She answered our questions about the plantation and gave us an information flyer.  We had arrived later in the day and the place was very quiet.  We felt we had the whole grounds to ourselves, apart from a very small group of well-behaved teenagers who were already heading out.  There was also one other couple around our age who headed in the opposite direction, no doubt enjoying their alone time feeling just as we were.

I do love browsing around these gift shops, and they often sell items I don't see in other stores.   I did see this small vase, very simple in design.  In the shop I hummed and hawed in front of it, imagining the colorful flowers that would set it off beautifully.  The place for its new setting already chosen, in my head, on the kitchen table.  After browsing around other corners - it wasn't a large gift shop - I knew the vase would be going home, along with a couple of other trinkets intended for birthday people.  Gregg popped back to the car parked a short distance away, deposited the package in the trunk, and we continued our walk.

The Bleeding Hearts were planted in a flower bed in front of the Carriage House.

The Redbud Trees were also blooming.

"There's nothing more beautiful than watching trees getting dressed up for Spring and Summer."

~Charmain J. Forde~

 I love looking at those pretty blooms.  I read that early settlers found the blossoms of the redbud a delicious addition to their salads.  Early folk healers used the bark to treat common maladies and sometimes even leukemia.  Many Native Americans chose the wood of the California redbud for their bows.  I won't be trying redbuds in my salad any time soon, or trying their healing properties, or making any bows, but I did find this all very interesting.  Those old-age cures seem to be making a come-back don't they and ingenuity is the mother of invention, especially so in those days?  I am always impressed how our forefathers made-do with what little they had, and shake my head in wonderment.

This is where I will end today's post.  Just like every time we visit anywhere, I have at least one more post to share but will leave that until next time.

Good to be up and running.  I truly was surprised, and grateful, getting my computer fixed so quickly.  Once again, thank you so much for the support and for visiting my blog.  Enjoy the rest of your week everyone.