OATLANDS PLANTATION CONTINUED...

What I didn't mention in my previous post is that the 22-room Oatlands Plantation is listed on the National Register for Historic Places.  This home with its Corinthian columns wasn't completed until 1804, and is one of the best examples of Federal estate architecture in the country.  More information can be found here.

Above I tried a ground level view of the Wild Violets.   Below is one of the shots taken near the visitor center.

Below you can see one of the many water features that can be found throughout the garden.  This is Gregg's photo.

There are several benches if you want to rest and enjoy these pretty surroundings.

An original well in the Parterre Garden (Gregg took this also)...

and one of the old walls full of small outcrops of flowers.

I don't have any definite ID for these unfortunately.

I cropped the photo as close as possible for a better look, and thought perhaps a lighter colored wild violet, or lobelia?

More of those blooming Redbud trees.

In the photo below I found the plant called Solomon's Seal.  It was in the lower garden. They grow from underground rhizomes, and the fruit is a berry.  Both have been used medicinally for a variety of ailments.

A lovely planter filled with pretty flowers, but again not identified.

I have shared their Victorian-style birdhouse before.

I would have enjoyed seeing it being built, but could find no information after an extensive search online.

The trees are magnificent and they looked quite old.

"Trees are your best antiques.
~Alexander Smith~

I found a marker for this one, identified as a Yellow Buckeye.

It had pretty leaves, bright green and brand new for spring.  A very interesting read about this particular one can be found here.

There are many trees at Oatlands, which you can read about at this link.

There are several events held each year, one of which is equestrian.  

The old wall overlooks where those events take place.

Time to leave and we drive toward the gate.

We will be back.  I really want to take a tour of the house.  Unfortunately you are not allowed to take photographs inside.  I already checked and will have to keep my hands firmly planted in my pockets.

It has been very nice sharing Oatlands with you.  Thanks for keeping me company, and have a great weekend.

OATLANDS PLANTATION, LEESBURG, VIRGINIA

My post today is from Oatlands Plantation. The last time we visited was in May 2016.  As we wanted to go for a ride in the countryside and go for a walk at the same time, we stopped at the plantation.  The grounds are ideal for getting our exercise. If you would like to learn more, you can click on its name in red lettering above.  (Any red lettering throughout any of my posts is a link to more information.)

We had intended to go on a tour of the house, but the last tour of the day had already started.  No matter, we had a lovely time in the open air, which was our intended purpose anyhow.  The weather was glorious!  The first photo of the house is the front view.  It is hard to get a good photo head on as it has a very large tree obstructing the view.  The second photo is taken of the back, and the third is a side view as we walk along the narrow, pebbly road back to our car. 

The first few lines on its history says: "In 1798 a young bachelor named George Carter inherited 3,408 acres of prime Loudoun County, Virginia farmland.  Carter was a descendant of one of Virginia's first families."  More of the Carter history at Oatlands can be found here.  

In 1903 it was bought by William Corcoran Eustis and his wife Edith Livingston Morton.  Their history can be found here.

I have been looking forward to Spring for many reasons.  One is to see the Dogwoods bloom again.  This beauty is the State Flower of Virginia.  I enjoyed reading about it at this link, and I enjoyed taking photos.

Wild Violets are everywhere you walk.  It looked like the grass was blooming purple.

They made a pretty carpet effect on the lawn but not everyone wants them in their garden, from what I read.  The wild ones spread through underground rhizomes. Here is a link you can read about them.

We stopped off at the Visitor Center first.  It is called the Carriage House.

Below, if you enlarge the photo, you will be able to read a few things about the Eustis family.

The pathway leading up to the center is made of bricks engraved with people's names and sometimes organizations.

You enter and exit out of the gift shop.  Clever people, they know how to throw out that hook.  The lady behind the counter was very friendly and started chatting immediately.  She answered our questions about the plantation and gave us an information flyer.  We had arrived later in the day and the place was very quiet.  We felt we had the whole grounds to ourselves, apart from a very small group of well-behaved teenagers who were already heading out.  There was also one other couple around our age who headed in the opposite direction, no doubt enjoying their alone time feeling just as we were.

I do love browsing around these gift shops, and they often sell items I don't see in other stores.   I did see this small vase, very simple in design.  In the shop I hummed and hawed in front of it, imagining the colorful flowers that would set it off beautifully.  The place for its new setting already chosen, in my head, on the kitchen table.  After browsing around other corners - it wasn't a large gift shop - I knew the vase would be going home, along with a couple of other trinkets intended for birthday people.  Gregg popped back to the car parked a short distance away, deposited the package in the trunk, and we continued our walk.

The Bleeding Hearts were planted in a flower bed in front of the Carriage House.

The Redbud Trees were also blooming.

"There's nothing more beautiful than watching trees getting dressed up for Spring and Summer."

~Charmain J. Forde~

 I love looking at those pretty blooms.  I read that early settlers found the blossoms of the redbud a delicious addition to their salads.  Early folk healers used the bark to treat common maladies and sometimes even leukemia.  Many Native Americans chose the wood of the California redbud for their bows.  I won't be trying redbuds in my salad any time soon, or trying their healing properties, or making any bows, but I did find this all very interesting.  Those old-age cures seem to be making a come-back don't they and ingenuity is the mother of invention, especially so in those days?  I am always impressed how our forefathers made-do with what little they had, and shake my head in wonderment.

This is where I will end today's post.  Just like every time we visit anywhere, I have at least one more post to share but will leave that until next time.

Good to be up and running.  I truly was surprised, and grateful, getting my computer fixed so quickly.  Once again, thank you so much for the support and for visiting my blog.  Enjoy the rest of your week everyone.

I TOOK A WALK....

"I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees."

~Henry David Thoreau~

~~~~~~

I am back and my computer is working, for now.  I am still not clear what the problem was as when Gregg looked at it and saw all the shaking on the screen, he said definitely a loose connection somewhere.  He took it into the repair shop but when the computer tech looked at it, he couldn't replicate the problem.  It had disappeared and all seemed to be well again.  Very strange!

I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that the ghost-shadow I see when the screen is dark will not get any worse.  Hoping that I will have my laptop for a good while yet, but it is acting a bit different, not quite as smooth as it used to be.  My confidence isn't as it once was and I am backing everything up each evening, not once a week as I used to.  We shall see!

Thank you for all the supportive comments in my last post.  I am glad I wasn't away for too long (I had thought it would be much longer).  I will be catching up on everyone's blogs over the next couple of days or so.

SKYWATCH FRIDAY

The Arbor at Oatlands Plantation earlier in the year.






Thank you to the team at SkyWatch Friday. You can visit other participants if you click on the name below.

SkyWatch Friday

FENCES, SKIES AND FIVES

 

These are photos of an old greenhouse that is on the grounds of Oatlands Plantation near Leesburg.  From this angle I was able to take a good amount of sky through the roof.  I thought I would also share photos from inside.  

All I could find out on line was that it was built in 1810, and is said to be the oldest standing greenhouse in the south.  I hope to go on an actual guided tour on my next visit, where I hope to find out more.

Here are more skies from that day....

and some fences of course.

Here are five links for you to view.

1) Did you ever wonder why there are no monkeys native to North America?  Well no, neither did I, until I read this very interesting article here.

2) A fascinating story and video about the crab horde that gathers in Australia here.

3) Any fans of Kris Kristofferson out there?   He is now 80 years old.  He was being treated for Altzheimers but they not so long ago discovered he actually had lime disease.  After three weeks of treatment 'he was back'. You can read about him here.


4) Amazing photographs from the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Competition Part II here.


5) Heartwarming photos here, some I have seen, some not.  


A fence for Theresa at Good Fences, sky photos for the team over at SkyWatch Friday and five photos for Tanya at Willy-Nilly Friday Five, with my grateful thanks to our hosts. You can visit other participants if you click on their names.

Good Fences

SkyWatch Friday

Willy-Nilly Friday Five