On Again, Off Again, On Again....

Sunrise from the airplane

How did this spring get to be so busy?  Will the early summer be just as busy?  Probably.  For those who are still around, reading my words, thanks!  With hope I will have you coming back again and again.
Just what has been going on over the last three (!) weeks? Covering a lot of ground!  Or should I say, air?
Very early in the morning, a few Fridays ago, we made our way to the airport in Greenville to fly to Oklahoma City for a family wedding celebration and baptism.  Would you believe on the way to the airport we saw an Armadillo??? Here, in South Carolina!  Right outside our back gate!!  I had heard that they were here, but this was my first sighting since we lived in Texas.


It was wonderful to see all the family members present in OKC.  There is a ten month old great-nephew, four year old great-nephew  and a 5 month old great-niece (the one getting baptized).  They grow so fast.  Since we had some time to kill Saturday afternoon, we went downtown to the Myriad Botanical Gardens.  What a beautiful place.  OKC has really done a lot of work in its downtown area.    This is the Crystal Bridge, spanning the water.  All around the grounds are beautiful garden areas.

As we walked around the grounds I had to keep reminding myself we were in downtown!  Just beautiful!

 The banks are richly planted with grasses, Oakleaf hydrangeas, Itea virginica Virginia Sweetspire, and azaleas.  Love how the grasses swayed in the breeze.

 The upper levels have walking paths lined with lots of blooms.  The pollinators were busy at every spot.

 From a distance you see the banks of the gardens, so inviting!

What about this Crystal Bridge you might ask?  It houses a large conservatory.  One end had very tropical plantings and at the other end, it was more arid.   There is a catwalk across the top, giving you a wonderful overview of this magical garden.

 

At the floor level there are so many beautiful plants to see, many colorful foliage plants.

At this point I had to stop taking plant pictures, forgot my battery charger and still had family events to photograph.

Our trip home was longer than expected, flight got cancelled and lines were long to get re-booked.  So very glad to be home!!
It was good to walk through my own garden as many blooms had opened in my absence.

Amaryllis, first time blooming outside

Amaryllis, from one of my York County Master
Gardener friends.  Thanks John!

Kalmia latifolia 'Carol', moved from the front last fall as it
was almost dead.  She lives!!

Kalmia latifolia 'Sarah', had two tags on it, 'Sarah' and 'Carousel'.  Had
to wait until this year's bloom to know which it was.

Off in the woods the Blue-Eyed Grass is blooming.  

Sisyrunchium sp.

 Spring is the time that Spirea 'Goldmound' shines.  The yellow foliage accented with the bright pink blooms.

Home on Monday from OKC and then off again to Seaford and parts north on Friday.  Was able to make a quick stop at Freda's house for a wonderful visit and a nice lunch.  Her driveway curves around to the far side of her yard, so the mailbox with the house number wasn't seen yet, but as I drove by her house, I saw a very familiar garden....just like in the pictures on her blog.  Beautiful.
I was up in Virginia for my daughter's bridal shower in Manassas.  Drove my mom and Charlie's mom to the shower.  Great day!

A few shots from the shower, was too busy having a good
time to take a lot of pictures.

Came home with a few plants, courtesy of my mom and my friend Linda.  From my mom's yard I collected a few ferns, Woodwordia virginica 'Virginia Chain Fern' and some hostas that my mom had collected years ago from her mother's garden in Pittsburgh.  A few Lily of the Valley, Convallaria majalis, were tossed in.

Once the shed is painted (primer coat on now) I will plant most of these babies in the shed garden.

My dear friend Linda gave me a couple of her Yorktown Onions from her yard.  Mine are missing after a hard rain, tiny foliage was covered with silt.

How lucky am I??
Allium amperloprasum

 I brought my mother in law home with me for a visit.   Since the weather has been so nice we went over to Park Seed for a look around.  Well, yes, I did buy a couple plants.   We looked at the gardens in the front area.  Love the purples all together.

Pretty Clematis in the Rose garden area, no label.

 I love the blooms on Borage, had some last year, but the bunnies ate it. So I bought this one!  Will sow some more seeds around the plant I bought.....hoping to have lots next year!  Doesn't the bloom look like a tomato bloom or a Shooting Star bloom?  Same shape. .....except BLUE!!

 In addition to the Borage I bought a couple Foxgloves.  Last year I bought a purple one, so this year, a couple 'Camelot Cream'.

Digitalis purpurea 'Camelot Cream'

 Charlie took his mom home this week and I took another stroll through my garden, the Mountain Laurel blooms are pretty even when they are on the ground with a bed of lichen.

Finally, in the family garden Clematis 'Prince Charles' is in full bloom.  He has grown past the trellis and is nestled in the Gardenia shrubs.

I will be around your blogs to get caught up with what you have been doing.  Sorry for the absence....life, it has a way of getting in the way of things.


©Copyright 2012 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.