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.

~Seeds and Gardens by R. H. Swaney~

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

A 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!

EYES TO THE SKIES...

He was keeping his eyes open to see if he could find any birds for me at the garden.  However, apart from a few Canada Geese which I always welcome, I didn't take any photos of any other feathered friends. They proved elusive!  Maybe next time.

There were lots of other things to see and I am putting together a post to be shared very soon.  I haven't had much time for the computer, so am a bit slow getting one done.  

Thank you for the many comments you have been leaving.  Always a lovely part of blogging reading them, and visiting your blogs which always gives me a smile.

The tin frog above has been a part of Meadowlark Gardens for many years.  He resides in the children's garden and you may remember him from other posts.  If I could find one like him I would be tempted to put him in our own garden.  He has become like an old dear friend I visit whenever I get over there.

Thanks for always stopping by.  I hope your upcoming weekend will be happy and healthy, and that you will enjoy the rest of your week.

CHILDREN'S GARDEN AT GREEN SPRING GARDENS

I know of at least two gardens where they have set aside a children's area, Meadowlark and here.  There must be more of course but I haven't as yet been to those.  I enjoy them for their whimsical, charmingly decorative features.

You can see a very large chalkboard, well used.  Even someone I know decided to sign someone's name.  I smiled when that someone pointed it out. 

There are gardening classes and camps for children to attend here. 

"This is the real secret of life - to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now.  And instead of calling it work, realize it is play."

~Alan W. Watts~

"For a small child there is no division between playing and learning; between the things he or she does 'just for fun' and things that are 'educational.'  The child learns while living and any part of living that is enjoyable is also play."

~Penelope Leach~

"Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning."

~Mr. Rogers~

I will finish with a poem I found recently.  Unfortunately there was no author's name.  I will keep searching.

"I tried to teach my child with books,

He gave me only puzzled looks.

I tried to teach my child with words,

They passed by him often unheard.

Despairingly, I turned aside,

'How shall I teach this child,' I cried?

Into my hands he put the key,

'Come,' he said, 'play with me."

~Anonymous~

Have a great weekend everyone, and thank you so much for stopping by.

MORE FROM MEADOWLARK GARDENS, VIENNA, VA

When we returned home from our road trip back in mid May, it wasn't but a couple of days later that we headed to Meadowlark Gardens.  I have done many posts on my blog about this place.  It is one of our most favorites, where we enjoy a great walk with the added benefit of all that exercise, without realizing it is exercise. 

This shows the pathways we take going down the hill.  We always seem to choose the one going straight.

And of course we enjoy looking at the flowers in bloom.  There were others besides these but I will share those later. 

This is called Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica).

This is called Small Sundrops (Oenothera perennis).

This is called Love in the Mist (Nigella damascena).  There are also ones with a pretty cornflower blue color.

Our path takes us by the children's garden and I am always pleased to see not only the flowers, but also the whimsical characters that reside here.

Here is an old favorite and has been in residence for a few years now...

as has this one, intently focused on the book he is reading.

They would delight any child, they would delight the inner child in all of us.

I was delighted when Gregg took a photo of the little Catbird that posed so nicely.

I have more photos from Meadowlark from that day, which I will share another time.