Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Postcards from the Lake: On My Walk

I have minimal gardening skills. That's one reason why when I take my up-north walks, I enjoy seeing what people have done to their yards and the wildflowers and blooms along the way.  So, walk with me. We'll start near the cottage where a lovely birch helps frame some bright orange lilies.


And of course, there is that favorite of mine, Queen Anne's Lace. Their heads are big and beautiful!


And never forget to look down! These bright blooms are pretty much flat to the ground.


This home has gorgeous hydrangeas.


Rounding the bend, another grove of birch trees. They are truly my favorites.


A branch has fallen from one of them.


A closer look reveals interesting details.


This person has done a wonderful job with a tidy hosta garden.


I'll spend the most time with Ean's garden. He lives two doors down from my cousin's cottage.


Ean loves trees, which is yet another reason to love Ean. He's put in these beautiful arbor vitae and they make the area cool and protected.


He also has a whimsical twist and I love his garden ornamentation. Just enough. Not too much.


I love these. I don't know what they are but they're so bright and beautiful -- and grow well in shade.


A closer look. Any ideas, gardening friends?


On occasion, the perfect sunny face greets me!


And back to the beach where we find the knapweed! Thanks, Jenny Woolf, for the ID!


I leave you with another look at the lilies.


They make me smile.

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52 comments:

La Table De Nana said...

Such cute cottage country you are in:)You can garden..you can garden..you can garden:)

Rustic Pumpkin said...

Isn't the crocosmia lovely against the dark, green ferns? It looks like Lucifer which is what I have, only mine is nearly spent now. Sorry I can't help with the yellow flower, but it looks so familiar to me. Lots of lovely gardens and walks with flora near you, no wonder you love it so.

Deb in Wales

Valerie-Jael said...

Nice flowers and gardens. I always enjoy other people's gardens, too, and am always amazed at their beautiful displays. I do not have green fingers! Thanks for sharing, take care, Valerie

gigi-hawaii said...

Lovely flowers and plants on your walk. You have a beautiful neighborhood.

eileeninmd said...

Hello,

The gardens and flowers are beautiful. They are a cheery sight to see while out walking. The birch trees are pretty. Shade from the trees is welcomed on these hot humid days. Take care, enjoy your day!

Sandra Cox said...

Breathtaking. I enjoyed the walk:)
My guess: rhododendron or azalea.
Be safe. Stay healthy.

60 Something said...

What a lovely post, Jeanie. I so miss the White Birch trees and Queen Anne's Lace here in Texas. You have such a way of transporting the reader into your world. Thank you!

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

beautiful flowers on your walk - love the shade trees - I'm missing Michigan summers right now - thanks

bobbie said...

I could almost hear the bird song through you pix! How I would love to go for a walk with you!

Jean said...

I enjoyed that walk. I love Queen Anne's lace and we get loads in the park.

Iris Flavia said...

A beautiful walk!
I once "managed to" kill a cactus even. And this year it´s too cold for anything.

Bonnie said...

Jeanie, the orange bush I think is a native azalea. It blooms in the spring in Alabama so it may be something else.

I enjoyed you garden walk.

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

I marvel each day at the wonders we see in other yards. I hope some are enjoying walking past our yard right now, too.

Karen said...

Beautiful ~ The white birch is beautiful ~ I love all the pretty blooms! Thank you for the nature walk :)

Mary Rose's said...

Bonnie's correct: those yellow-orange flowers are azalea. You're so lucky to see them now. Ours came/went in March-April.

Thanks for posting these shady, beautiful spots near you.

Susie said...

Jeanie, It looks like you have a very pretty area to walk. I loved all the flowers and the trees too. Hope you are enjoying cooler weather. It been so hot here. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

Pamela said...

A gorgeous place to spend your summer days.

Karen said...

Some people have a lot of talent and ambition. I don't, that's for sure!

My name is Erika. said...

Gorgeous flowers. Those yellow ones remind of me azaleas but they are rather late for that plant and they are yellow, but I suppose just because I haven't seen yellow doesn't mean they don't exist. Seeing I'm no garden expert, just someone who loves to grow plants.Smile. I love all the lilies, and your cousin's place is nicely landscaped. Thanks for sharing as it is always nice to see flowers and gardens. Hugs-Erika

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Jeanie, your walk is full of lovely flowers. Isn't it wonderful to have neighbors that love gardening? I'm afraid I can't help with the yellow flower---it is quite lovely!

Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes said...

What a beautiful neighborhood! I enjoyed the tour, as many of the flowers on your walk are favorites of mine, especially the Orange daylilies. They grow everywhere here in NJ, yet they don't sell them anymore because they are too "invasive," which is exactly what I'd want them to do - invade my garden -- please! Someone dug some up for me several years ago, but they hardly ever bloomed because the deer always ate the buds. Then the landscaper dug most of them up by accident. I was able to save a few, and this year, for the first year, they are safe inside the boundaries of my new backyard fence. Only one bloomed and it wasn't orange! Hmmmmm. Maybe next year they'll do better!

Blondie's Journal said...

Aren't the walks the best? I love to see the original cottages? I am inspired by the perennial flowers and plants that may have been around for decades. The newer homes are meticulously landscaped, not so much me.

I love to garden. It's a challenge though to keep things going when I travel between homes, but I love flowers and houseplants.

Sounds like you're having a good summer! Keep it up girlfriend!❤️

Jane

Joyful said...

I love to see other people's gardens since some people have wonderful yards to fill with lovely things. I'm not 100 % sure of the yellow flower but I think it is a very young Rhododendron bush. Since the shape of bush is a little unformed I'm going by the leaves. Most of the bushes I see here are very large and bushy.

shoreacres said...

I especially enjoyed seeing the birch. They're among my favorite trees. When the ones growing in our Iowa front yard had to be cut down, I kept the logs for years. I sort of wish I still had them, but too many moves sent them packing!

thepaintedapron.com said...

What a lovely garden walk Jeanie! So much beauty and serenity!
Jenna

Arti said...

Nice walk! Beautiful blooms. We don't get to see cultivated gardens like that here, well, maybe in some parts of the city, but not from where I usually go. However, a walk by the Pond yields sights of wildflowers. Actually I'm preparing a post on just that. So, it's fun seeing the blooms from your part of the world.

Pam Richardson said...

I so enjoyed the garden walk with you Jeanie. I also love birch trees and have one in my front landscape, their bark is amazing. Thanks for sharing the beauty of the lakeside cottages!

Judy at GoldCountryCottage said...

I so enjoyed going on this walk with you, Jeanie. Beautiful all. I believe those pretty flowers are azaleas. I know we are used to seeing them on bushes lower to the ground but among the birch trees, the shade and the forest style they grow that way. When I was young, my BFF and I would spend time at the creek by her house where all kinds of trees grew and the azaleas, we called them wild azaleas, were so plentiful. I can smell the water, the coolness and the trees like they are in the early morning. That is what your friend's garden brings back to me..Stay well..xxoJudy

Danielle L Zecher said...

I love the hydrangeas and birch trees! Gardening is a lot easier than you probably think it is. I was convinced I couldn't garden until Nick's grandmother taught me, and now I can't imagine not growing things.

R's Rue said...

Beautiful

Sandra Cox said...

All the pics are beautiful, but I especially love the first one.

Rita C at Panoply said...

Lovely walk and observations, Jeanie. Honestly, I really don't miss gardening still, even a year after leaving mine behind, especially when I can view others' captured, and enjoy seeing others' gardens on our walks too. I love white birch also. When we planted our landscape originally, we were USDA rated in a cooler zone that could nurture white birch but, sadly, the area grew warmer and was rezoned, explaining why our white birch didn't thrive. I did save the logs for decor, though. That fallen branch looks as though it had birch bore, which is what ours succumbed to.

Stevenson Q said...

Jeanie what a beautiful walk you took us to! It's my first time to see Queen Anne's Lace and I very much am with you on your appreciation to it! It's very beautiful and truly living remarkably to its royal name! That Birch tree that fell looks very interesting with all those holes on it.

Sending you hugs to the coming weekend!

Mae Travels said...

You at least remember the names of flowers, which I can never do. Like you, I appreciate the gardening skills and variety of choices in my neighborhood.

be well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Barb said...

I like seeing what's blooming at the lake, Jeanie. My CO landscapes are in full bloom now too. I walked this morning and admired all the colors.

Barb said...

I like seeing what's blooming at the lake, Jeanie. My CO landscapes are in full bloom now too. I walked this morning and admired all the colors.

Prims By The Water said...

Lovely pics. Janice

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Wow, Jeanie. You got a garden tour and didn't have to pay a cent. Wonderful flowers and gardens. You are lucky to have those at the lake. Stunning and beautiful indeed.

Mica said...

What lovely flowers, you have a lot of nice sights on your walking route :)

Hope that you are having a nice week and have a lovely weekend ahead of you :)

Away From Blue

Marie Rayner said...

Jeanie, I sure enjoyed this walk through your neighborhood with you! What a lovely place you get to summer in! xoxo

David M. Gascoigne, said...

The birch on the ground is the most interesting of all for me, Jeanie. Those holes were made by a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. These birds drill the holes in the spring when the sap is rising and the sweet, sticky substance oozes out and the birds feed on it. Hummingbirds will follow sapsuckers around to benefit from their hard work, eating both the sap and insects that get stuck on the sticky substance. Wonderful!! Birds were using sap long before we discovered maple syrup!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Like yourself, jeanie, I am not the best with things that grow (but I've tried). And, like you, I can also admire the skills and creativity of others. Your neighbor's yard looks very welcoming and I can see whay you enjoy re-visiting.

Lowcarb team member said...

Such a lovely post.
Always a joy to see such nice flowers and gardens.
I often enjoy a walk around the neighbourhood to see other people's gardens, the displays can be glorious.

Enjoy this last day of July and my good wishes are coming your way for the new month of August.
It's amazing in spite of the not so good year the days are still rushing by!

Take care, stay safe and well.

All the best Jan

Sketchbook Wandering said...

I'm not a gardener either, but how I LOVE enjoying people's gardens, including those in your photos. I liked seeing the neighborhood where your camp is located...I spent happy hours at camps on lakes of friends in my youth...So pleasant to get away and be immersed in that environment! What are those little dots on the log?????

Polly said...

What a lovely walk, and beautiful photos. The birch trees are gorgeous. I have enjoyed your previous posts, particularly the butterflies and birds.

SingingRiverSoulSpa said...

Loved walking along with you.
Thanks for sharing your Summering.
That last garden is magical:)
- Jennifer

Tammie Lee said...

Those interesting designs in the paper birch tree bark are from sapsuckers or woodpeckers. They make those holes and drink the sap which is super sweet. This eventually kills the trees. I have had many a tree damaged or killed by them. Alders, mountain ash, apple. Once I saw a butterfly drinking the sap and bees arriving for the sap also and the butterfly would bat them away with its wings. interesting to see.

looks like you see lots of beauty on your walks.

Jenny Woolf said...

That was an interesting stroll! Such a lot of self expression in these gardens - and they all seem quite compact, so there's plenty of variety, too. How long will you be staying at the lake for? It must be the perfect place in hot weather!

Bella Rum said...

This entire post made me smile. Nature is such a renewing thing. Love the lilies - that splash of color in a sea of green. Beautiful!

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

I’m not much of a gardener but my mom sure is. The flowers at their lake place are so beautiful and she takes so much pride in her yard! I want to change up some of our landscaping but that will come down the road in a year or 2!

I need orange said...

Thanks for taking us along on your walk. I, too, am a great appreciator of other people's gardens! :-)

Divers and Sundry said...

So nice that you have such lovely garden viewing opportunities on your walks! Those colors make such bright spots. I hadn't realized the setting your place was in, a pretty community there :) The bloggers I read that live on lakes have me changing my idea of what "retirement" could look like :)

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