HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - THE MOON GATE AT GREEN SPRING GARDENS

 

This is half of Gregg’s photo above, taken from the other side of the Moon Gate, a preview of more photos to come on Tuesday.  I like how he framed the house. He has such a good eye for these things. We weren’t there for very long but could see that it had been finished and flowers and fauna planted. It looked lovely! I am still hobbling and could only manage 20 minutes, if that. There was seating but we discovered it had rained quite hard and all benches were drenched (we had no rain at all getting there, so it was a surprise to see everything so wet). Still, at least we got there and what a treat it was. The garden staff have done a beautiful job indeed. 

You can click here to see my posts on this Moon Gate.

I will be catching up with you over the next few days. I am eager to visit and see all your happenings. 

Happy Sunday everyone. Have a great day!

A NEW ADDITION TO GREEN SPRING GARDENS

I start with a view of the old house that belonged to the owners who donated this land to the Fairfax County Park Authority, with the wish for it to remain a park. We owe them a great deal of thanks. I never fail to take a photo of the house, and that incredible blue sky was too good an opportunity to pass up. If you go to this link you can read a short history, and also see an old photo of how the place used to look many years ago. 

I forgot to share my photos from our last trip to Green Spring Gardens, when we visited the first week in July. The bees were busy collecting pollen. This one was enjoying the Bee Balm.

We were walking along our usual path, and this time I noticed something on our right. A very unusual sight as in all the years we have visited, this is the first time we have seen any kind of construction. We could see something behind the chain link fence... 

and much to my delight and on closer inspection, saw that it was a stone moon gate.

I have seen them before in other gardens on our travels but never thought we would have one closer to home. You can read about them here. Apparently, they originated in China. There's a gallery of them if you scroll down. It was interesting for me to find out that there are many in Bermuda. I read that "Moon gates were incorporated into the architecture of Bermuda in the late 19th century, around the same time that the British territory began importing Easter lily bulbs from Japan for cultivation. Bermudan moon gates are slightly different from the original Chinese designs, as they are often left freestanding or attached to a low wall. In Bermuda it is regarded as good luck for newlyweds to step through the gate."

I am looking forward to going back to the garden to see how it has progressed. 

You can click here to see all my posts on this Moon Gate. 

Thanks for visiting and I hope your week is going well.

PHOTO INTO ART AND BUBBLES 8-4-23

I have this app on my iPad called ArtCard.  It gives some nice effects, and this is one of several. You will see a bee on a plant, one of the many bees I saw that day on a walk around Green Spring Gardens.  I will be sharing the actual photo soon. 

 This was two days ago (the 4th).  I love going to these places at different times of the year.  There is always something different blooming, and on every visit something new to see.  We definitely feel fortunate that we have several botanical gardens and parks within a short car ride away.

It was a tad humid but tolerable and I always keep water handy.  There were not too many people out and about, but I met Bubbles and her family.  A sweet little pup and two nice young ladies who were only too happy to tell me about her.  I said as I walked by, “You have a sweet pup!” and that was enough to start a conversation.  I had no intention of disrupting their own photographic session with Bubbles. I was following Gregg and he was half-way back to the car, walking ahead quickly so that he could turn the air on to cool the car.  But the closer I approached on the walking path, I spotted Bubbles.  When she saw me she started wriggling her body from side to side, her tail was doing a good impression of a whirligig, her front paws marching on the spot in a continuous Philip Souza motion. She was very excited, and the young ladies were concerned when she started jumping all over me. She had only been with them for a short time, but I reassured them that I was a tried-and-true dog lover and I understood puppies. I think Bubbles recognized a friendly ear scratcher and she certainly loved the attention.  

They probably would have been surprised if they knew that being around Bubbles was heartbalm for me, as Seraphina was a few days before.  Dogs always call to me like a siren song, as it did my father and his mother before him. I wouldn't be surprised if this has been passed down through even more generations before them.  Bye for now Bubbles, have a very happy life you sweet little dog.

So, finally at our car and with air-conditioner cooling (thank you Gregg), I was grateful for the extra water I had brought with me.  It was still nice and cold.  How on earth those early settlers managed when they experienced their first humid summer here, not to mention further south to the tip of Florida. They were brave souls.  

This shows our temperatures for the week.  It is cooler than it has been, and most nights are going to be from the mid to high 60’s.  

And another Sunday post. I am not sure this will be a weekly tradition as I usually take a rest day from the laptop. But while I have lots to share, along with the time and inclination, I will just keep them coming. At least for a while.  

Happy Sunday everyone, and

thanks for stopping by.

LAST SATURDAY WE WENT OUT FOR A WALK - PART 2

 The first two photos are of Witch Hazel.  It is known by several names: American witch-hazel, Common witch hazel, Striped alder, Tobacco-wood, Spotted alder, Water-witch, Snapping Hazelnut, Winterblooms and Witchhazel Witch-hazel!  Its botanical name is Hamamelis virginiana.

Witch hazel was used quite commonly in the 20th century for locating water sources.  The practice, called dowsing or water witching, which is still occasionally used.  You can read about the practice here.  In dowsing, a forked stick of the witch hazel is held perpendicular to the ground and moved slowly over it.  The belief is that when a water source is directly under the stick, it will dip or jump.  I also wrote about Witch Hazel in my post at this link, along with other photos around the garden.

Next, the Star Magnolia (Botanical name: Magnolia stellata).  It is also known as the Royal star magnolia.

I had a hard time choosing between the photos I took of this ornamental shrub, deciding to share several today.  

It grows from 5 to 8 feet in height and can cope with cooler climates.  It does, however, need a sunny spot in the garden, with some partial shade for protection during the summer months. In fact, it is advised to plant in an area that will protect the magnolia from winds and frost.  Otherwise, the flowers may be discolored as the buds open before the leaves appear.   

Star Magnolia is a small, slow-growing shrub native to Japan.  As you can see, compared to other magnolias, it has much narrower petals resembling a star-like shape, hence the name.

It has 3-4" fragrant white or pink flowers with dark green leaves and a gray bark.  It certainly was lovely to see it blooming on our way into the garden.  

The back of the house that I have always loved.  Its history can be read here, but in part it was built in 1784 by John Moss.   

As it used to be back then, the front of the house courtesy of the Fairfax County Park Authority and found on the above website.

Next you can see it from its side view.  It is near one of the entrances near the parking lot.

More daffodils...

Hellebores which I wrote about yesterday.

We planted these in front of our own home and I am hoping they survived the winter.

Lastly, the tree towered above me with a profusion of  blooms.  It is the Japanese camellia, botanical name Camellia japonica, and as the name would infer, it is native of Japan.  Also known as Common camellia and Rose of Winter.

It can grow up to 49 feet and does best in partially shady spots with rich, well-drained soil.  It also has very little fragrance.  I read that it can be given coffee grounds as long as it is mixed into a well-prepared compost.  Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, as well as some other micronutrients.  Japanese camelia's have been known to live for over a century in the wild.  

Many of the blooms were past their peak.  Still very pretty though.

A small pink Japanese camelia was growing next to the larger tree, and those blooms were not quite as worn.

We had parked our car on the other side of the barrier at one of the entrances. Though people are welcome to stay in the garden until 6.00 p.m. after which it starts to get dark, the parking lot closes at 5.00 p.m.  We didn't arrive until 4.40 p.m. and thought it wise to park outside on the road that leads into the garden.

THE HISTORIC HOUSE AT GREEN SPRING GARDENS - HUMMINGBIRD PHOTO EXHIBIT - 9-24-22

When we entered the garden, there was a sign to let us know there was a hummingbird photo exhibit at the historic house.  It's been a very long time since we went inside, and this was an excellent opportunity to do just that.  It was our first stop at the garden.

We enter a hallway and turned left into the first room.  It was very quiet, and only had a father and his young daughter inside.  They normally have it set up as a dining room as they do afternoon teas here.  We keep saying that we should reserve a table one of these days.  In the meantime, here we are looking at the hummingbird photos.

  

I was able to take a few photographs but as we moved on it became more crowded.  Amazing hummingbirds taken by equally amazing photographers.I didn't want to disturb those who were enjoying the exhibit and settled down to enjoy them too.  (I like to enlarge my own photos in the evenings on my laptop, to study details of any bird I photograph.  There were no signs saying not to take photos.  I always check.)  

The bird in my next photo, where I could just about read the information card, is the Green Violet-ear Hummingbird taken in Costa Rica.

I cant ID many others, except for one more.  Not too knowledgeable on my hummingbirds.

Isn't this a beauty?  According to the card it is a Violet Sabrewing, photo taken in Monteverde, Costa Rica. 

I also enjoyed the flower arrangement on the mantle, and from all the overhead lights...

it seems as though they have quite a few exhibits here

I always take notice of the flower displays scattered here and there.

The view through the window is looking at the back of the house.

On the other side of the hallway there is a small gift shop, with a few prints on the walls showing how the house used to look.   There are reflections in some unfortunately.

Originally, as shown below, the kitchen was a separate structure and not attached to the house.  Separate kitchens were a normal thing in the south back in the 18th century, to keep away the heat and noise, and cooking smells from the main house. 

 

An explanation also stated that later when a family called Moss took ownership, c. 1827 or thereabouts, a brick kitchen was built on the east side of the house.

If you enlarge the photo above, the information says: "Green Spring House undergoing renovations in 1936.  Minni Whitesell, owner from 1931 to 1942, saved the house from demolition."  Thank you Minni!  I can't imagine the garden without this beautiful old house.  Is that Minni and her daughter walking through the doorway?

I bought a few items in the gift shop, just before we left.  Gregg bought me a book on the house's history that I was leafing through, and I also picked up two gift cards and two packets of tea.  The cards are the type that a tea bag is included, with a slit in the card so that the tea packet can slip into it.  I have seen them before in other places and they have been around for quite a while.  You may have seen them too.  They make a sweet gift for a family member or friend.  A handwritten card and a cup of tea, lovely!

 The small room (gift shop area) was filling up with people and we both wanted some fresh air by that time.  I was also eager to get to see what was blooming in the garden...

but I took a couple of photos of the other dining room from the top of the steps (of the gift shop), and that was it for the historic house.

Those anemones were calling me.

I always love the anemones in front of the house.  This is the Grape leaf anemone, also known as a Grape leaf windflower.  It originated in the Himalayas.

Next is a Mexican marigold, also found in front of the house.  (In fact, when I looked up the yellow flower with a touch of red next to it, they were also recognized as such.) Also known as Big marigold, Aztec marigold and African marigold, and they grow in full to partial sun.  Its botanical name is Tagetes erecta.  This plant was considered sacred by the Aztec people, and it was used to decorate temples.  It doesn't attract many birds surprisingly, but the blooms don't produce much nectar.  

This was a sign at the side of the front door, pretty enough for a picture.  I liked it enough to turn it into my logo.

That's all from the house.  I will have a post about the flowers soon.  There were many still blooming, though some were a bit past it, still pretty though.

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the rest of your week.