April Showers to May Flowers

I'm not sure what it is about spring, but every year, it seems to have me going in a dozen different directions at once...If I'm planting, then I think I should be weeding. If I'm weeding, then I think I should be spring cleaning. I pick up the broom and start thinking about how I should be capturing the flowers in paint or pictures, while they're still blooming...Which then leads me into starting and stopping (and starting again), a half dozen other things I want to make/spruce up/do before the summer heat arrives...All of which then makes me feel so tired just thinking about them, that I want to just lie down in the grass and take a nap...This does not get a lot fully accomplished. It also doesn't make for good cohesive, blogging material. Here, let me try to get back on track a bit, starting with these -

I picked these flowers for you (well, virtually. I picked them with the lens!), way back in April at our local Flower & Garden Show. Luckily, the computer has kept them fresh all this time while I've been lolligagging about, weeding and planting and napping and such. 

This bouquet reminded me of the ones my mother would pick to put on the dining room table every spring. I felt like I'd gone home again, just looking at it. Oh those lilacs! There's just nothing like the scent of them. Not to mention the rows upon rows of glorious roses...

 

 

Though there were also some posies that had no scent but were pretty as a picture, none the less...African violets always look to me as though they should smell like wood violets, though they don't - but I love them anyway.

 

 

And irises too...

There were also table settings that looked good enough to eat...

 I picked this table setting to bring back, just because I am a sucker for red gingham at picnics, (though I couldn't help wondering if a few blue flowers in that basket might have helped them bring home the blue - but then I'm partial to blue flowers).

I could stay all day wandering around in just this part of the show, smelling each and every bloom, but the grandgirls were anxious to get on the road, looking at all the gardens. So hop on in and we'll take a whirlwind tour, riding in style in a vintage cadillac.

Just a moment - let me put that basket of oranges in the back...

You never know, we might get hungry, later.

There are a few miles to cover. They always include a wide variety of gardens on the tour.

Everything from grand ol' mansion-style, formal gardens, to.. .

 

 

 

 

-- Excuse me, while I interrupt myself...Though 'informal' pretty well describes my gardening taste (and most everything else), and though there are no actual flowers in these  next photos, I had to include them, because I Loved, loved, L-o-O-Ved these koi ponds and thought you might too. There were actually two of them, in these tiled niches - one on either side of the pool, with the biggest (seriously! Some of them looked 2 feet long) - loveliest, friendliest fish. Sigh. I fell deeply in watery, fishy love...Not literally, of course.  But you know what I mean...Just so pretty - and looked so cool and inviting on a hot day...

 

 

 

Um, where were we? Oh yes, a variety of gardens on the tour. Moving right along...

There's everything from formal to cottage gardens, and everything in between -

 

 

 

Loved the hollyhocks at this one. Hollyhocks are one of those flowers that just charm me no end and make my heart sing.

There were horses on this tour too. Which are also not flowers, but you know, still a fun thing to see when touring other peoples' gardens. Like koi ponds, they also make my heart sing like a 12 year old horse-fish-animal-crazy girl.

I still get excited when I see someone riding a horse down the street - Look! Horses! ( and there are actually horses that live down the street. This makes my life more exciting. Even if I don't get to ride them - I get to look at them. While not having to pay for them or  clean up after them. Come to think of it, this may be one of those win-win situaitons...).

Anyway...Look - Horses!

 

Or at least one of them, anyway...(in case you're wondering - this is not the horse living down the street. Which actually isn't my street, anyway. Just a street nearby...).

Anyway...Look! Veggies! These make me very happy to see too...almost as happy as flowers, fish and horses.

Depending on how far away it is from dinnertime, sometimes even happier to see the veggies...

I liked their garden sign-age. They had a cute little caricature of the designated vegetable on each sign.

 

There were so many photo ops, I could keep you here all day wtih them - which I may be getting quite close to doing, already -- but I have to at least show you a little of my very favorite place on the tour. Step this way...

 

Turn, go through the magic doorway...

and step into a secret garden...

Have a seat, relax...there's plenty of seats for everyone, here and there, all around the garden.

 

It's been a long tour,  so I'll leave you here to rest awhile and smell the roses...just mosey on down the garden path whenever you're ready.

Thanks for going along with me. Hope you enjoyed the tour...

Have a happy Mother's Day weekend!

p.s. Here are a couple more - April shower flowers - spring things that I actually did manage to start and finish - for decorations on an April bridal shower present. The ones over in this tutorial are so cute. I really want to make more - I seriously need to work on my embroidery skills, though. I used to know how to do this - or at least I thought I did...Remedial embroidery 102. Yep, guess I'll add that to my spring to-do-list...

p.s.s. Still having problems commenting on most Blogger blogs, for unknown reasons...I'll keep trying though!

 

Comments

[Janet]

Wow! I'm all tuckered out (as my grandma used to day) from touring all those beautiful gardens! Thanks for letting me tag along. I love flowers and horses and veggies...oh, my! I could just stay at that last stop with all the pretty seating areas. Just give me something cold to drink and a good book and I'd be in heaven!!

[Pamela Jean]

Beautiful tour my friend, wish I was along with you on this. A must for me to know about next time. Still waiting on getting that tour of Redlands. :0)

[rochambeau]

Dear Girlfriend,
I just got here, but my people need me!
See you tomorrow, ok?
xox
C

[rochambeau]

THanks for the floral Tour of delight TInk!! You are fortunate to have this particular show near by, as it is high quality. I do remember that you have gone in the past!!
About going in many directions.....I don't just do that in the Springtime, but carry on in that manner all year! ;-)
Hope YOUR Mother's day was spectacular!
xox
Constance
Your bridal shower flower gifts turned out so happy and nice.