MEADOWLARK GARDENS, VIENNA, VIRGINIA

Now that warm and sunny, but more to the point, dryer weather is here, we have been going to our favorite local garden.  These are the latest photos from our visit last Monday.

Gregg found another path near the visitor center....

which took us through a wood.

These are Redvein Enkianthus - Enkianthus Campanulatus - Red Bells.  I found a great page with extensive information here.

I was very interested looking at the different plants and trees.  It had been raining hard and everything was damp but verdant.

I think that plant in the photo above is a Virginia Creeper, and the one below a Bloodroot.  I am no expert so you will have to do your own research if you want to confirm.  I tried hard to identify them and found photos very similar.  I was very careful not to touch any of the plants I looked at, as my knowledge for identifying plants that can cause a nasty reaction to touch is very small.  I know poisonous ivy and poisonous oak and that's about it.



Golden Star
Chrysogonum virginianum



I visited Betsy's Wildwood Home and she has a great post on poisonous plants that you can read here.

I was beginning to wonder how long our walk through the wood was going to take, but finally we reached the clearing.

We were nearer the children's garden, which you may have seen on my blog before, as I have often shared posts about it.

The turtles were out enjoying the sunshine.

and the Canada Geese were bathing.

If you can't access the video below, you can see it at this link.

The turtles did not appear to be impressed.

Neither did the Red-wing Blackbird.

The sculptures looked mildly interested though.

There was one other bird we were able to take a photo of.  Not sure what kind it is.  

(Added note: 5-26-16 - thank you Eileen of Viewing Nature with Eileen, who identified the bird below as an Eastern Kingbird.  Eileen pointed out the white tips on its tail feathers.  Thank you Eileen.)

There will be more photos from the garden in another post.

Here are some links for you to look at:

1)  Three Goldens, one suspect here.

2)  Grumpy Cat found in London here.

3) Getting back to nature in the UK here.

4) Nature's benefits on mental health here.

5) Summer's coming.  How about a Strawberry and Rhubarb Pie?  You can get that here.



I am sharing with the following memes as they become available, with my thanks to all our hosts for bringing them to us.  If you click on their names you can visit other participants.  

Congratulations to Stewart on 200 posts of Wild Bird Wednesday.

Theresa at Good Fences

The Team at SkyWatch Friday

Tanya at Willy-Nilly Friday Five

Eileen at Saturday's Critters

Misty at Camera Critters
Anni at Bird D'Pot
Stewart at Wild Bird Wednesday