A Fall Princess

As I snapped images of the gorgeous Water Lilies in bloom at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, on a brief visit a few weeks ago, I finished up and walked away from the pond. Then I turned and walked back. I stepped off the path near the fountain. Something had caught my eye.

There stood this gorgeous Fall princess bedecked in dried flowers, with large yellow bows and long flowing ribbon. She blended in so well, I nearly missed her. She held a basket of dried flowers on her arm. Her pouty lips and dark tinted sunglasses, no doubt, were meant to tantalize. A checked hat with a wide brim shielded her from the sunlight. She was the star of the Scarecrow Display, held every Fall in the Seasons Garden, during Cheekwood's Fall Harvest Fest. What a stunning creature.

Fall temperatures are cooling off the heat of Summer here in Tennessee. I anxiously await bright sunny Fall days, on this rainy Sunday afternoon, to capture the red and yellow and orange leaves as they fall from the trees. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

I continue to listen to the stories of heartbreak and survival coming out of the devastated Florida Panhandle and pray for God's mercy as tens of thousands of people pick up and clean up, while others whose lives and livelihoods were blown away, find the courage to begin again. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

Black Magic of Autumn

No doubt Cheekwood is well known for its magnificent floral displays throughout its gardens. Yet, as I walk under the Arbor in the Robert Ellis Color Garden, my senses were overtaken by the enormous deep purple leaves of the Black Magic Elephant Ears. They were stunning and they attracted me much like bees are attracted to honey. But it isn't just the Elephant Ears, the bright purple Salvia which grows behind the Black Magic is simply gorgeous. The color contrast like no other. And I am certain Cheekwood gardeners planned this combination just for this exact reaction.

With Autumn comes the red, orange and yellow colors that delight us all and bring us out of our houses to tour the woods and forests and countrysides. However, at Cheekwood you can find a setting like none other. Here reside the deep purplish blacks and vibrant, stunning lavenders that emit a warmth that adds a whole new dimension to the term Autumn. I can never walk past the Black Magic Elephant Ears without capturing a few images. These beauties are surrounded by our customary red, yellow and orange Chrysanthemums planted up and down the entire length of the Arbor. Did you know that Black Magic Elephant Ears unfold in bright green, then slowly turn to purple and finally give way to the blackish purple I share with you today. ENJOY!