FINISHING A WALK AROUND GREEN SPRING GARDENS

Looking across the large green as we make our way around the walking path, we see a family sitting on a blanket in the shade of the trees.  This would be a great place to bring a picnic, as I have seen people do several times on previous visits.

The gazebo is a very short walk from the Visitor Center where I saw this vase of pretty peonies.

The ground covering of small pansies were lovely,

as were the Trumpet Vines starting to cover this arbor.

We didn't see many birds to take photos of, but early in our walk we noticed that House Sparrows had taken up residence in the multi-story birdhouse high on the pole (left of the photo below).

Another small section of landscaped garden to enjoy...

and information on how to help our feathered friends.

Our bees are also mentioned.

I'm sure the frogs weren't left out.  I probably missed that sign.

By this time we are at the path that leads down to the ponds.  We leave the more manicured area and make our way down the hill.  The path here is gravel and a little uneven, so I always take extra care.  

I love this wooded area.  Everything is so lush and green.  Old trees are left to slowly decay, adding nutrients back into the soil.  They also give homes to countless species of wildlife.  

I read here that there are those who believe "the removal of dead material from forests can mean a loss of habitat for up to one fifth of the animals in the ecosystem."  Quite a sobering thought.  There is a lot of interesting information at this link regarding dead trees and how important they are.  Here is another link with more interesting information.

By this time we had walked down the gravel path, crossed over a small creek, turned left and headed towards the two ponds.  We stopped at the second one, sat on a bench under a shady tree, and enjoyed looking across the water.  Again there weren't many people here, but we noticed a family across the way, making use of another shady tree.  

A couple walked by with a small dog being transported in a pet carrier.  I was so curious about this carrier that I looked on Amazon when I got home, and found one here, which is very similar to the one this lady had. A cute little dog who seemed very comfortable and enjoying his ride.

We sat on the bench for a while after little dog and lady left, enjoying our surroundings very much.  It wasn't long before we saw a flash of red flying from one tree to another, almost above our heads.

A male Cardinal put on a performance.  I found a website where you can hear its call - at this link - if you click on their video.

It is always enjoyable to explore our local parks and gardens.  We have been to many of them and had some great walks.

Thank you for coming along with us on this one.  Enjoy your day.