This England: Snowshill -- The Gardens

I'm already eager for spring. I may be a lousy gardener myself, but I love visiting a good one. Charles Paget Wade, whom we met as the quirky collector of Snowshill Manor, loved his gardens as well and reviewing the photos reminds me that he did a fine job with his property. They are far more simplified than his home, which we saw in the last post!

Even in autumn, maybe especially in autumn, the sense of the garden, the colors and textures, were so very alive! We found this true, even though our visit was in mid-October.

Summer at Home: The MSU Gardens

We came back to Lansing from the lake so I could go to some doc appointments and that Rick and Kitty could prepare to go meet the grands (and her great grands) over the weekend. But it was a lovely day and a good time to take Kitty on a walk through the beautiful gardens at Michigan State University.

The Beauty of Spring-Into-Summer

More blooms! My garden and peonies are faded now, but I managed a few pix before the passed their peak.

Blooming and Beautiful

Earlier this season I took you on a blog walk through Michigan State's Beal Gardens. This is an outdoor botanical garden with a variety of areas -- poison plants, edibles, herbs, and loads of grasses, flowers and what some might call weeds. The university considers it an "outdoor laboratory for the study and appreciation of plants," designed for students in the agricultural/horticultural fields. But it is equally, if not more, popular among the general community.

 

A Mother's Day Walk

I haven't been out much. Well, if you count "out of the neighborhood," I haven't been out at all. So when Rick came in on Mother's Day with the car and said "Let's go for a walk," that meant the walk could be anywhere! We chose the campus of Michigan State University.

Normally it would be packed with students and their parents this weekend, as kids would be preparing to graduate. During our rather long walk we saw all of a dozen people.

It was bliss. Divine, safe bliss.

We started our walk going down beside the Red Cedar River where we saw our first goose family. It wouldn't be the last.

We ended up at Beal Botainical gardens. MSU has wonderful gardens. In the Horticultural Gardens you'll find some gorgeous blooms but at Beal, you'll see interesting and unusual plants and even weeds!

Many things had yet to bud and bloom but I learned that these sweet flowers are cowslips.

And I loved these!

The trillium were in full bloom!

And there were both interesting and informative plaques...

...and unique features, such as these decorative plaques on the stairs leading out of the sunken garden.

We had some company during our walk in the garden. These two followed us around for a bit!

The tulips were out and looking good.

These matched my coat!

We left the gardens and continued our campus walk, noting some beautiful lilacs, the first I've seen to begin blooming.

Beaumont Tower, with its bells that chime every fifteen minutes, is a campus landmark. We did see one student here, having her photo taken by the door. In retrospect, I should have said if she stood back much farther from the tower so she was in the foreground, her photo would have both her and the tower featured, rather than the rather boring door.

Most of the flowering trees were on the way out, but a few were still looking pretty glorious!

We ventured into East Lansing. This area is one of the busiest intersections in this college town. Not today!

Moving on, we went back to campus, passing by a couple of lovely red bud trees.

And then, crossing through, we were back at the river. There were five families of geese on the riverbank -- and at least 25 goslings!

The parent geese were remarkably undisturbed by our passing so close. They neither shooed their babies away or honked at us.

These birds are used to people! And darned cute.

Our day out was really one of the nicest I've had in months. True, the weather wasn't great, but it didn't start to sprinkle until we reached the car.

A day to remember.

Halloween at Southern Exposure

What if you went to Southern Exposure and didn't think you were going to do a project? Just have a wonderful witchy time?

It would still be good!

Somehow, we have lucked out with weather going to our favorite place and it was still pretty much full-fall when we arrived. So of course we took a wander through the gardens. To be honest, I find great beauty in faded blooms.

They remind me a bit of how we might feel after having had a wonderful time and now we are tired and ready for a rest.

Honestly, haven't you ever felt like this?

But some, like the hydrangea, are just as lovely in their faded place as they are in full color.

(Although a few were really hanging in there!)

I just adore how they do their bird baths -- and it's so pretty with the reflections!

Loads of berries now. I'll bet the birds are loving these!

But on to dinner! Our first stop was in the Corn Crib. This is my favorite of the rooms and I loved this view when we entered.

Angie was making drinks. She hollowed out apples to serve as vessels. This was called her "Poisoned Apple" drink and was vodka, pomegranate juice and other juices, including Hawaiian Punch. (I didn't like the Hawaiian Punch in there -- made it a tad too sweet for me. But I LOVED the presentation!)

The appetizer was a Brie with chutney in phyllo cups. Yum!

Then we walked through a canopy of lights for our next course in the Hog House.

This featured a beautiful salad with a lovely raspberry dressing...

...and the cutest rolls I've ever seen with a delicious spiced butter. After I got home I looked up recipes online for these and found a couple of links. 

Then it was off to the Milking Parlor for the main course. We had roasted rack of lamb, a veggie and a Thai rice (which is deep enough purple to be considered black). And that was served in these cute hollowed out peppers. I can't wait to do something like this with the Baby Grands. Pasta or mac and cheese would work!

We were pretty stuffed, but not too stuffed to move on for Creme Brulee and ginger snaps. And best of all, when we moved to our final station we found a project for us! We did little bloom-stuffed Jack Be Littles.

And here's mine, shown at home.

All in all, a most glorious evening. The next time we return it will be in December. The garden will be gone completely (and if we are lucky it will not be covered in snow! Too soon!)

Oh, I can hardly wait!

First Southern Exposure Visit of the Season!

After an early autumn at the Ditch, it was time to venture farther afield for a little beauty! That means a visit to my "happy place," Southern Exposure Herb Farm, where several times a year a group of friends and I go to make lovely home decor projects, enjoy a beautiful dinner and walk through their wonderful gardens.

We recently enjoyed our first early autumn visit, making a fall botanical wreath. More on that later but first, a walk through the gardens. Their zinnias were fabulous!

Even the buds have their own exquisite details.

I don't know what these are, but I loved them!

Pretty much everywhere you walk, you'll find statues in unique places.

And sometimes, if the dill is good, the statues, such as this madonna, become completely hidden!

They hydrangeas were enormous.

This one bloom was almost as long as my forearm from the tip of fingertips to almost my elbow!

At Southern Exposure you'll find rock sculptures in front of some of the 1800s farm buildings. I love how they add another sense of texture to the land.

The veggie gardens were looking splendid.

And the herb garden was still providing wonderful fragrances.

Apples anyone?

It was so tempting not to reach right up and grab one!

There were some beautiful color combinations -- the colors of fall.

And this red and white was pretty stunning too.

I don't know what these were -- but I loved them!

 And, hanging in an arbor near the milking parlor where we dine, some beautiful grapes.

This photo is just for Sheri from Red Rose Alley -- roses are her favorite! Maybe they're yours, too!

Angie started us out with a sangria cocktail that was yummy.

We ended up at a table with four other women from our area and laughed all through dinner and our project. We swapped photographer roles to get a photo of us with our travel pals we came with -- in my case, Kate and Jan.

Then it was on to the craft tent where our supplies were laid out before us.

And voila! The finished product -- a beautiful wreath, just perfect for welcoming in the fall season!

I was very sad to leave...

...but will be back soon for my next one!