Beautiful Pink Dogwood

My favorite Dogwood tree at Bernheim is this gorgeous deep pink one that sits at the very end of the arboretum. I snapped an image Saturday as I was driving into Louisville for the Easter holiday weekend. I hope you had a wonderful Easter. ENJOY!

Dog Days of Spring Are Coming

Things are turning up Spring everywhere you look here in Tennessee. There are flowering Japanese Magnolias and bright yellow Daffodils and even a few early blooming Tulips. In the shops, there are a plethora of bunnies. There are bunny figurines and ceramic bunnies and chocolate bunnies and faux grass covered bunnies. There are eggs everywhere. Faux speckled eggs in pink and blue and yellow and chocolate eggs and marshmallow eggs and even malted milk eggs. Easter baskets have popped up too. You can find wooden baskets and metal baskets and faux grass baskets. Are you a fan of Peeps? I love the yellow and pink ones especially. Yes, Spring is in the air and everywhere. Have a fabulous weekend. ENJOY!

Tulips & Hyacinths

On my last visit to Cheekwood, I encountered a gorgeous flower garden filled with bright yellow Tulips and pink Hyacinths. The second I caught a glimpse of this garden, thoughts of Easter began to conjure up in my mind. It was the perfect abode to Easter what with Sunday being the holiday. Hyacinths were originally from the Middle Eastern countries. Something I did not know until I looked up the flower itself online. Also during the Victorian era, Hyacinths were revered for their long lingering fragrance.

Those violets, if that is the flower they are, tucked throughout the entire garden made for an amazing display. While I have never been and never will be a gardener, I honestly have to say I am amazed to think of all of the work that goes into each individual garden. At every turn in the walkway, there is a different colored flower featured, not to mention a different species altogether, and then with the other flowers tucked in throughout, it surely is a big job tending to these gardens. In my opinion, the most beautiful displays are very close to the front of the botanical gardens especiallly around the Bradford Robertson Color Garden and the Botanical Hall.

There is a walkway lined with Crepe Myrtles near the Botanical Hall. Last year I was able to capture images of gorgeous yellow and red Tulips blooming all throughout those Crepe Myrtles. However, it was too early this year. If you missed that post from last year, simply go here.

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens is a truly remarkable place to visit as are most botanical gardens. There are gardens within Cheekwood that have become increasingly familiar to me. Yet, I don't think I will ever be as fond of any place as I am Bernheim, perhaps if for no other reason than it is close to home for me being right outside Louisville. It is in the sixties with lots of sunshine here this weekend. I am exhausted from work due to numerous deadlines, but I am hoping to get outdoors none the less. I wish for you is a fabulous weekend. ENJOY!

Japanese Magnolia, Bernheim Arboretum

As I made my way back to Nashville from Louisville, after a brief visit with family for the Easter holiday, I stopped for a visit at Bernheim Arboretum. I love to capture images of the Japanese Magnolias in bloom in early Spring. It was sad as frost had pretty much obliterated a great deal of the blooms. I walked around the trees snapping an image here, an image there. This particular bloom, as you can see, had a bit of frost bite too. I love to photograph flowers with a beautiful blue sky in the background. Sometimes I even position myself so that the perspective includes that gorgeous blue sky. It seems to give your image a boost. Have you been enjoying the beautiful Bradford Pears that have been in bloom for the last few weeks? Here in Hendersonville they were gorgeous. The Dogwoods should be in bloom soon it not already. I hope you are having a wonderful week. We have strong storms coming through late today. ENJOY!

Vintage Barn, Lebanon

A drive out to the countryside is always special when you happen upon one of these iconic 'Mail Pouch' barns as I did Saturday outside Lebanon, Tennessee. With the weather warm and a bit of sunshine before the clouds and rain moved in from the South, I decided a drive was in order. Lebanon is a small town just east of Nashville. I happened upon this barn as I was making my way back to the main road. These logo'd barns are numerous especially throughout Kentucky and Tennessee.

By the way, did you know this is a 'monitor' barn meaning the roof is raised in the center. I wasn't sure what style it was so I looked it up. There's quite a few styles of barns which I am sure we all realize in our travels.

I don't know about you, but I am eagerly awaiting the first sprouts of Spring. I envision Daffodils or "Daffys" as some folks call them, and Crocus and Dogwood blooms, and Tulips in bright orange and purple and pink. And even better, Easter is in a few weeks too. Are you getting your "bunny" on? ENJOY!

Linking to The Barn Collective and Good Fences

Happy Easter All!

Have a wonderful day. ENJOY!

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Mary, Mary, quite contrary. How does your garden grow? Do you remember that nursery rhyme? I do. And because I have such a myriad of images from my two photo shoots at Bernheim while the Japanese Magnolias were blooming, I have a few more images to share.

The second time I stopped by Bernheim most all of the Magnolias were blooming. The scent was magnificent.

This is a holiday weekend so I decided to take tomorrow off. I love three day weekends. They make life so much more pleasant. I'm going out on a limb here and guessing there'll be speckled malted milk balls and chocolate bunnies in your weekend. There are so many wonderful things about Easter. The colored grasses to fill the Easter baskets, the dying of the eggs, the ham and potato salad. Let's not forget church and the Easter services, sunrise or regular hours, and all of the black patent leather shoes and Easter bonnets. I hope all of you have a fantastic Easter and a great weekend. I'll try to post again before the weekend is gone. ENJOY!

Yellow Iris

Spring is slowly awakening here in the Bluegrass State. As I drive the countryside, patches of yellow Daffodils dot the landscape. The grass is slowly greening. Spring breezes bring warmth where winter's cold winds once blew. Buds stand ready to burst forth from every branch of every tree.

As I step inside each shop, fuzzy yellow ducks and chicks greet me with smiling faces. Speckled eggs and brightly colored Easter baskets are piled high on the tables. Faux grasses stand at the ready in their bright pinks and yellows and purples. Chocolate Easter bunnies and speckled eggs fill the shelves waiting patiently for candy jars overflowing.

Bygone days come back to me now of Easter's past. Bonnets adorned with flowers and long ribbons stand ready and waiting. Patent leather shoes shiny as glass sparkle in the bright sunshine. Soft pink pinafores with freshly ironed creases hang in the closet. Church bells soon give way to dinner as smells of Easter ham waif in the air. Harbingers of Spring surround us. Sorry to have been away for a bit. Such a busy schedule. ENJOY!

Happy Easter and In Memory Of

Today I'll be spending Easter with my sister, JoAnn, and her family. Before I depart to do that, I wanted to post a quick photo of a beautiful Dogwood bloom I photographed at Caperton Swamp last week. Obviously, I dropped it in Picasa and Paint to give it a beautiful subtle effect. I hope you like it.

Today is a special day because it is not just Easter, but also my Mother's birthday. Mom has been gone for five plus years. It seems like yesterday that she was here with us. I miss her terribly, but today I'm celebrating her life because she loved the holidays most of all. She always made our holidays special no matter what was going on around us.

On Easter we would dress up in our new Easter dresses, black patent leather shoes and our Easter bonnets. In the morning, when we first awoke, we would immediately go in search of our Easter baskets. She loved to hide them all over the house. I look back over the years growing up and wonder how my Mom made everything so special with five children. We were not rich in money, but we definitely were rich in love of family. My Mom gave me that. I'm very lucky to still have all three of my sisters and my brother still with me. Thank you God. Most of all thank you Mom for everything you gave me and everything you were and still are to me. Happy Birthday.

Happy Easter to everyone. I hope your day is filled with chocolate bunnies, marshmallow eggs, jelly beans, baked ham and maybe even an Easter egg hunt. And least you think I've forgotten, our Lord has risen. Let us be proud. Happy Easter. ENJOY!

Get Your Easter On!

A few images I photographed at one of my favorite boutiques for the magazine layout last week. What's not to love about bunnies?

And oh my how I love those Easter eggs.

Keep in mind I did a little doctoring with my software so these images are much removed from the original images. So I'm asking . . . what do you do to get your Easter on? ENJOY!

Photographer's Note: Items compliments of my dear Kim and Ronda at Two Dazzle in St. Matthews. Thanks ladies. You rock.

Sidebar Note: Barb was wondering why I'm thinking Easter when she just got into skiing this winter. Sorry Barb. In the magazine world, we generally are one season ahead of the rest of the world.

Happy Easter!

Whatever you do today take a moment to remember what Easter is really all about. Happy Easter to all my friends. ENJOY!