Friday, October 15, 2021

GREEN SPRING GARDENS - PART 3 - 9-2-21

On this part of our walk we visited the children's garden.  Always worth a look.  

There was a compost display...

where youngsters can learn the reasons for composting and what materials to use...
with examples below.  I am not quite sure what the corks are for, whether there is a purpose or for decoration.  Perhaps a critter deterrent ?
The birdhouses are permanent fixtures.
Always good to see areas planted especially for the well being of butterflies and other pollinators. In this case particularly for Monarchs.
All very quiet...
and no breeze to send the whirligig flying.
Goldfinches have flown south for the winter, except for this one.
I have always liked these fence posts, such a cheerful display.
There have been programs for families and children where they can learn all things in the garden. Perhaps they have finished for the season?  Also trips are offered for all age groups to enjoy, and I found two left on their website.  One is to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on October 21st, and the other to Lewis Ginter's Gardenfest of Lights on December 7th.  Both these places are in Richmond, Virginia, about two to two-and-a-half hours away.
Another part of the children's garden is in a quiet corner at the back of the visitor center.  
I was curious about their signs.
A poem for you.


If words are seeds, 

let flowers grow 

from your mouth,

not weeds. 

If heart are gardens, 

plant those flowers

in the chest of the ones

who exist around you. 

The following two poems are written by children which I found online.  These creative young people were not from this area.  I left details off for privacy.

My Dream Garden Poem

2nd grade student

If I love gardens
Then I love animals too
I would put animals, plants and tree’s too
And I love gardens forever
I would add things everyday
And I am happy with my gardens

The Garden Rap

Look at my garden so

Big and bright. When the

Sun’s out it has light.

When it becomes night

It gives people a fright,

Then they get a nightlight.

I got a fountain and it

Looks like a mountain

Then people started pouting.

In our garden was a gnome

Next to our home

And our dog found

bone. We found a

Watering can next to

A man named Stan.

We found a rock on the

Shed’s lock. I hope you liked

Our garden rap but now it is

Time to take a nap.


All the benches in the garden are dedicated to 

 family, friends and all loved ones.  This is the first

 I have seen for a four-legged fur child.  

The yellow flower is called the Bitter sneezeweed,

 botanical name Helenium amarum.  It's other

 names are Sneezeweed, Bitterweed and Yellow

 sneezeweed.

The very first bouquet my Sweet Other Half ever gave me when we were newlyweds, contained the Peruvian Lily.  There are many hybrids and over 190 cultivars of Peruvian lily.  However, the great majority of them have one feature in common: no matter what their basic color, the tepals are striped and speckled with a darker color, giving the flower its characteristic look.  
As you may have guessed from its name, it is originally from Peru, the Peruvian mountains to be precise.  Its botanical name is Alstroemeria aurea and its other names are Lily of the Incas, Golden lily-of-the-incas and Inca lily.  This flower will always be my favorite, not only for its beauty but because of its great sentimental value.

A Bumblebee on Crested cockscomb.
The green in the center of the garden was very quiet.  I have often seen parents and children playing, sometimes throwing a football back and forth, or a baseball, kicking a soccer ball.  It's also a great place for a picnic.  
A better view of the map.
Isn't this a great shade tree?
One of the gardeners, maybe a volunteer, was hidden from view, weeding in a flower beds.  I saw the top of a straw hat as I walked by.  
A Common zinnia.  Botanical name Zinnia elegans.  Other names are Zinnia, Elegant zinnia, Youth-and-age, Wild Zinnia.  Its name was given in the memory of German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn.  
The following is a Mexican zinnia, botanical name Zinnia haageana.  Other names are Haage zinnia, Orange zinnia, Narrow-leaved zinnia.  It is a native shrub from Mexico.  It has a rather sweet symbolism which means thinking of you, remembering absent friends and sentimentality.
The plant below is called the Princess flower.  Botanical name is Tibouchina urvilleana.  Its other names are Glory bush, Lasiandra, Pleroma, Purple glory tree.  It was past blooming but they produce beautiful purple flowers which you can see at this link. It is a native to Brazil and grows best in sunny areas and can climb trellises.  Because of its color it is commonly planted in royal gardens, hence the name Princess flower.  Its symbolism is actually royalty, elegance and healing.
That's all from this trip to Green Spring Gardens, and if you missed them, Part 1 and Part 2 can be found if you click on their links.  I never get tired of going there and like so many places we visit, there is always something new to see.

I found another post from a previous trip to this children's garden in 2017, which you can read here.  And if you don't mind reading in instalments there are many, many other posts to see if you click on the label "Green Spring Gardens_Alexandria_Virginia" below this post.

Thank you for coming with me to the garden.
Have a great weekend!








62 comments:

  1. Wonderful photos of the children's garden...the flowers are nice colours.

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  2. Love the detail on the fence posts, beautifully done.

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  3. What a wonderful tour, I thouroughly enjoyed myself! I have never seen zinnias that look like this. How spectacular. The fence posts are so pretty. We have been to both the Fine Arts Museum and Louis Ginter. We always used to go to their Festival Of Lights, it is spectacular, you walk through and it is the biggest and best light show. One year they had a peacock of lights as big as a large building. Plus they have buildings of miniature trains, gingerbread houses, and all kinds of things. You would LOVE it.

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    1. Hi Ginny, so glad :) I have been to the Fine Arts Museum and Louis Ginter, but never to their Festival of Lights. From your description I am eager to go this year. Thank you!

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  4. A wonderful place to visit and explore. it is great this garden is for children to learn all about nature Denise. Have a lovely weekend.

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    1. I agree Margaret and it is so important for children to learn about the natural world. You have a lovely weekend also and thank you :)

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  5. Another delightful post from beautiful gardens. Thank you.

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    1. You are very welcome Sue, so glad you enjoyed and thank you :)

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  6. This place must be wonderful to explore. So many wonderful things to see.

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  7. This is a great area for children of all ages. Love the fences painted!!

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    1. I enjoy the painted fences too Anni, and a great area to get in touch with one's inner child :) Thank you!

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  8. Hello Denise,
    Another great post on the Green Spring Gardens. The flowers, the painted fence post and the gardens are beautiful. I like the fence full of birdhouses. Take care, have a happy day and a great weekend!

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    1. So happy you enjoyed Eileen, thank you :) You take care and have a happy day and weekend also.

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    1. Muito obrigado :) Estou feliz que você achou interessante. Um abraço e um feliz final de semana.

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  10. When one can combine education and enjoyment that is such a positive step forward, and children need all the environmental knowledge they can absorb to undo the follies of the generations before them.

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  11. this OLD child would enjoy visiting the childrens garden. i have no idea dryer lint and paper could be used as compost. that list on the sign had a lot i did not know. of course when daddy did his compost there was no dryer lint, ha ha

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    1. And this OLD child always loves to visit them Sandra :) The dryer lint and paper were a surprise to me also. Dad had a compost heap too and I think he would have been very surprised at some of these things, but I always remember the vegetables peels going in. I suspect your daddy and mine would have been considered master gardeners here.

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  12. Those bird houses are so cute. And Gregg had good taste in buying you those lilies. They are beautiful. The zinnias are gorgeous, too. All in all, a great visit to the garden.

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    1. I agree, they are very cute and yes Gregg has good taste :) Thank you Gigi :)

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  13. Love all the little birdhouses! 💙

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    1. I can understand why Sandi, I love them too. Thank you :)

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  14. what a wonderful children garden!! i wish i had visited something like this as a child and learned these lessons. i see many of them now and i am always amazed at what they teach and offer!!

    it is decorated so beautifully and so well maintained. i enjoyed the poems!!

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    1. I would have loved that too Debbie :) It makes me happy that children are benefiting from them now. So glad you enjoyed, thank you :)

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  15. Beautiful shots! The birdhouses are cheerful.

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    1. Thank you William, they are very cheerful aren't they? :)

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  16. Hello Dennise,:=) Another enjoyable visit with so much content. I would enjoy a visit to the children's garden. I like all the bird houses, painted fence,Flowers , Zinnias are loved by bees, and I always have a few in my garden. I also have the Peruvian Lilly, but didn't know it's name until now.:=)

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    1. Hello Breathtaking :) I am glad I was able to share something you enjoyed, including the name of the Peruvian Lily.

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  17. Thanks for sharing your lovely visit!

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    1. You are very welcome Christine, happy you enjoyed the visit :)

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  18. Those birdhouses are delightful. And a lovely painting of the Goldfinch. The Mexican Zinnia is one of the most unusual and pretty flowers I've ever seen. How striking the color is. A lovely garden post today, Denise, and such an assortment of different flowers.

    ~Sheri

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  19. Such a lovely children's garden.
    Your photographs were very enjoyable to see, and thank you for the poem too.

    Have a good weekend.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Hello Jan, thank you :) So happy you enjoyed the poems too and you have a good weekend also. All the best!

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  20. Thank you for taking me through this beautiful garden. Lovely photos too.

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  21. Thanks, Denise, for taking fellow bloggers along on this visit to green Spring Garden. It was great to see the composting and many ideas for children. The blooms were colorful and nice to still see them.

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  22. Thanks for your visit and I hope you have a great Sunday. I am hoping with winter approaching that I will have more time at the computer. I have a good 3 months of photos that I have to catch up on. Just time has been so limited with the garden and all the crops to freeze/dry/cook etc. Take care and I will be back eventually!! Diane

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    1. Life has a way of taking us away from blogging Diane and you have been very, very busy. I look forward to seeing your photos when things slow down. Happy Autumn!

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  23. You got some wonderful shots here...such a lovely place to visit. I would want to return to it several times a year.

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  24. Thank you for taking us along with you, Denise. It's such a lovely place. A place to learn and see beauty. I especially enjoyed learning from you about the zinnia and how it got its name. I picked some from my own garden before the storm came through. I also really love that they have a compost learning area for children. I believe it is the foundation of every lovely garden.

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    1. You are very welcome Martha Ellen :) thank you! I have always enjoyed the photos from your beautiful garden.

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  25. This sounds like a wonderful place for children. I wish my grandsons could go there. They were just at Brookside Garden, Wheaton Regional Park in Maryland that looked beautiful. I do miss seeing all the gardens. We're rather limited here in Hawaii.

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    1. Hello Kay :) and how lovely to hear your family were at Brookside, another garden we have enjoyed. We don’t get there quite as often as it is a little further but it is another favorite.

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  26. Lovely images! I enjoyed the poems.

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  27. When one can combine education and enjoyment that is such a positive step forward

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  28. a lot of interesting items to see... beautiful flowers everywhere...

    love to read poem and enjoy of pretty photos.... thank you for sharing.

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    1. It makes me happy you enjoyed, thank you Tanza :)

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  29. Beautiful pictures of your trip through the garden. It looks like a lovely place.
    The Garden Rap poem made me smile.
    Now I'm off to check out Parts 1 and 2.

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    1. That's great, always happy to send a smile :) Thanks so much!

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  30. There is a lot to discover and enjoy at this garden.

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    1. There is and each visit holds more discoveries. Thank you Ellen :)

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