Agaves, Cheekwood Botanical Gardens

Last year in Fall Cheekwood featured gorgeous Agave plants in their Fall Festival. I hope they return this year as they were gorgeous. Here's a few pics to wet your whistle.

These are Blue American Agave plants surrounded by blue flower beds. I'm not sure what that blue flower is, but it's a gorgeous display.

The varigated Agaves were planted next to yellow and orange Chrysanthemums. Wouldn't this look great in a yard for Fall. Notice the pumpkins scattered throughout this particular display.

When I Googled Agaves, including the various varieties featured here, I noticed several images where the Agave plants are planted in long rows in Mexico. No doubt so they can grow big and be exported to America. It's a rainy week here in Tennessee, but at least the high temperatures are gone. Although we still have a fair amount of humidity to contend with. I did some Fall decorating yesterday. I can't hardly wait for the cooler season to come and relieve us of all of this heat and humidity. ENJOY!

Happy Sunday!

This beautiful iron pot sits in the gardens at Cheekwood. As I visited last Summer, the Sweet Potato Vine caught my eye. Isn't it fabulous. Have a wonderful Sunday everyone. ENJOY!

A Walk through Cheekwood - Happy Easter!

Come take a walk with me as I take in the flowers blooming in the Robert Ellis Color Garden at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens. This gorgeous garden was adorned with red and yellow Tulips in every size and variety that the landscapers could possibly imagine.

Visitors may have surrounded me as I meandered along the garden path, but it was as though I were totally alone in the universe, as I took in every vibrant red and stunning yellow Tulip popped open with sunshine diving deep into its inner beauty.

The deep reds and yellows were laden with black centers and large stamens. The varieties of Tulips was astounding with single and double and even peony shaped Tulips all around.

Oh, Cheekwood how you out did yourself on this glorious Bloom Fest celebration.

Every Spring I attempt to capture the beauty of the Crepe Myrtles as they stand sentinel keeping a watchful eye over the stunning blooms around them.

Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths, Jonquils, Petunias. Thank you Cheekwood for a glorious Bloom Fest. I take my hat off to you!!

I wish each and every one of you a very peaceful and Happy Easter. May your day be filled with sunshine and bright blue skies. And may all the wonders of Easter surround you. Whether it be chocolate bunnies and dyed eggs or a sit down feast of scrumptious baked ham with all the trimmings, I wish everyone peace and joy on this glorious day of Resurrection. ENJOY!

Cheekwood Bloom Fest 2019 ... Lavender and Purple Hues

What a headline! Just hang on because we're talking purple and lavender hues. A feast for your eyes!

This is a double flowering Tulip called Tulip Blue Wow. Where it got this name, I haven't a clue. But the Wow part of the name definitely says it all for me.

Say 'hello' to a gorgeous deep Burgundy Lace Tulip. I don't know which I love more, the deep burgundy hue or the lace tips that look slightly cut into the flower.

Purple Hyacinths and yellow Tulips, what more can one ask for. A stunning garden display that sits behind the Botanical Hall in the Robert Ellis Color Garden.

Capturing the full sun lit lavender Tulips was a challenge. So I bent down and snap a few pics of the Tulips with the sun shining in front and my pics snapped from behind. This is the result. You be the judge.

The Purple Hyacinth and orange Violets were a big hit on my Facebook page. You just never know what will inspire people. Matters not, because all I want is to inspire whether it's a purple Hyacinth or a waterfall. Inspiration is all I'm looking for.

Searching far and wide, I never found the name of this Tulip and failed to check the garden marker. Many of the flower petals stood wide open offering up a bird's eye view of the inside and the stamen. So gorgeous.

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens is situated just south of Nashville proper and today is the last day of Cheekwood's Bloom Fest featuring many, many, many species of Tulips, as well as Hyacinths, Jonquils, Violets and more.

I had hoped to find some cloud cover when I arrived yesterday based on the meterologist's forecast, but instead found full sun. It can be quite difficult to capture the best images in full light when shooting flower photography. Don't let that stop you. Inspiration lies in every single petal you capture.

 I hoped you enjoyed this journey through the purple and lavender hues of Bloom Fest this year. I'll come back soon with gorgeous red and yellow Tulips. You won't want to miss that. ENJOY!

The Meaning of a Purple Rose

As I walked around the Atlanta Botanical Gardens recently, I almost walked right past this bush of purple Roses. But I stopped short of passing them by, looked closely and thought how gorgeous they were. If only I had taken more images. There were so many people milling about that I didn't want to disrupt anyone so I snapped a few quick images and moved on.

The purple Rose signifies enchantment. Should you receive a purple Rose from another it supposedly means they have fallen in love with you at first sight. I knew the different colors of Roses had different meanings, but this was one I didn't know until now. How charming is that. Fall is going to pass us by here shortly and the weather is going to move right into Winter, but not quite yet. We do, however, have a hard warning tonight. I hope wherever you are you are enjoying the beautiful Fall colors. ENJOY!

Imaginery Worlds, Atlanta Botanical Gardens

When opportunity knocks, don't let it slip between your fingers. I had traveled to Georgia to visit Gibbs Gardens. However, I realized the day prior that there was a wonderful exhibit at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and it's last day was the day I was to visit Gibbs. So I took a chance and these images are witness to my unexpected stop at the gardens. Gorgeous plant sculptures were created for the gardens by a mosaic company out of Montreal. And these creatures, some 20 feet tall, were magnificent.

The Pegasus

The Peacock in the Conservatory

The Peacock in the Conservatory

The Phoenix in the Japanese Gardens

The Phoenix in the Japanese Gardens

The Dragon in the Great Lawn

The Dragon in the Great Lawn

The Mermaid in the Great Lawn

The Camels in the Rock Garden

The Camels in the Rock Garden

The Sleeping Princess in the Cascades Garden

The Wholly Mammoth in the Kendeda Canopy Walk

My favorite images are probably those taken later in the day when the harsh early afternoon light had faded into the blue hour. My favorite of all of the sculptures would be the Dragon and the Pegasus. The Phoenix is the one image that I captured in early afternoon and late afternoon light, and no doubt, you can see the difference.

I loved walking around the botanical gardens for the first time, but would pick a less busy day. The day I visited was the last day of the Imaginary Worlds exhibit and tons of visitors came to see it before it embarked on a journey elsewhere. Fall is upon us here in full swing in Middle Tennessee. Wherever you are I hope you are enjoying this weekend. ENJOY!

Happy Halloween!

One cannot visit the Atlanta Botanical Gardens in Atlanta, Georgia, during Fall and not bag some pics from their Scarecrow Display. There were several exhibits I wanted to check out at the botanical gardens before they closed for Fall. All throughout the gardens there were all types of creepy and scary Scarecrows. The Serpent Lady was oh so busy keeping a handle on her slithering friends.

Let's face it, this guy is definitely a different kind of Scarecrow, but seriously, it's Halloween so doesn't that rule apply, anythings goes.

What a Hag! I admit her dress and tights are a serious hoot, but you still better watch out as she's keeping an eye on you with her binoculars.

It wouldn't be a Scarecrow Display without a Skeleton or two. This bony guy is really a cool looking dude. Perhaps its the wide brimmed hat that does it. I don't know, but he is. Someone should offer up a free meal and perhaps a facial and manicure would help. Everyone far and wide, in the States and wherever you celebrate this Hallowed Day have fun and stay safe. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Swashbuckling on the Open Sea

Imagine being a pirate sailing the open seas in search of gold and jewels. Donning a black pirate's hat and yielding a long handled sword I would shout at the throngs of mateys manning the cannons. A skull and crossbones flag hangs high up on the mast. Weeks would pass as we sail north and south and east and west only to return to port once wooden chests were filled heaping to the brim with gold and silver and jewels. One must be allowed to dream every once in a while. ENJOY!

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!

A Beautiful Reflection

Captured in the Waterlily Gardens at Gibbs Gardens, located in Ball Ground, Georgia, two years ago in Summer. It was a hot August day, but I persevered to capture just a tidbit of the beautiful reflections from the pond. I hope you are having a fantastic weekend and Labor Day holiday. ENJOY!

'Cracking Art' at Cheekwood

A visit to Cheekwood's Cracking Art exhibit has been on my schedule for some time. Cracking Art is an art and nature exhibit by a Milan-based artist collective. The large scale art installation features animals in striking colors displayed throughout the gardens. The installations are synthetic and made from 100% recycled plastic materials.

The Robert Ellis Color Garden featured a stunning display of Caterpillars in bright colors with each  surrounded by a bed of flowers and plants.

Surrounding the blue Caterpillar were gorgeous Agaves. They were stunning. What a terrific way to accent the Cracking Art.

The giant pink Caterpillar has to be one of my favorite in the exhibit.

On my walk to the Willis Perennial Garden, I looked back at the Robert Ellis Color Garden. If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn the gardens were being taken over by giant Caterpillars.

The canopy off the Robert Ellis Color Garden was filled with Summer plants in pinks and maroons and purples. But what I really loved was the Cracking Art Birds dangling from the canopy in bright colors.

Lions and tigers and bears! No, just Bears were featured in the Japanese Garden. I loved the huge red Bears that dotted the landscape.

Large green Wolves greeted me near the Carell Dogwood Garden. It was as though they were standing at attention next to tall green shrubs. While I didn't get to see all of the Crackin Art exhibit, as the weather was very, very hot, I hope to get back to Cheekwood before the end of the exhibit to see the rest of the animals. What I did see was incredible.

This particular Cracking Art exhibit was curated by Stefano Papetti Elisa Mori and Giorgia Berardinelli. There are six artists that originally founded the Cracking Art movement in 1993 in Italy, with the sole purpose of changing the history of contemporary art. The term 'cracking' comes from the process used to create the materials that form the synthetic installations that make up the animals in the exhibit. You can read more about Cracking Art here, Cracking Art.

Have a wonderful evening everyone. ENJOY!

Linking to The Scoop

Japanese Gardens, Gibbs Gardens, Kentucky Woman Series

Beautiful Gibbs Gardens, located just to the northeast of Atlanta, has to be one of the most architecturally beautiful botanical gardens I have ever seen. The Japanese Gardens, called Tsukiyama, is the largest Japanese garden in the nation encompassing some 40 acres. The ponds in this particular garden are all spring fed. But I think what really makes this garden are the reflections you find at every twist and turn along the garden path. Come take a walk with me . . .

As I meandered around both sides of the ponds that make up the Japanese Gardens, I couldn't help noticing just how meticulous every morsel of plant and stone and tree was planned and designed to create this breathtaking landscape. Mr. Gibbs my hat goes off to you. Yet, on the afternoon I visited with ample sunlight in tow, I couldn't help but realize one of the reasons for all the planning.

Can you see it, the reflections on the water are simply gorgeous. As I approached one setting after another, it wasn't enough to capture a portrait view, I had to capture a landscape too. Who knew what I would like more when I found myself miles away back home carefully sifting through the images.

Without a doubt, I recall spending an hour or more capturing photographs of the various settings as I walked the many paths and crossed over the ponds and walked around each one. It was an explosion to my senses.

As if the reflections on the water were not enough, I happened upon this scene with a Weeping Willow tree situated next to the largest pond. The foliage around the tree and the huge boulders sitting next to the water's edge was just gorgeous. Oh, how I love Weeping Willows.

Right when you think you can't take in another thing, you happen upon a Japanese lantern sitting idly on top of a large boulder with gorgeous twisted tree branches in the background.

Did you notice how the foreground is a treat to your eyes, but the background is so beautiful of the foliage across the pond on the other side. Tell me someone didn't spend hours planning this. What a genius!

Just to be absolutely certain I didn't miss a thing, I captured a landscape view of this setting.

I wanted to end this post right back where we began. Look at this gorgeous plant with those beautiful sculptures of Swans sitting atop it right in the middle of the largest pond in the Japanese Gardens. The Weeping Willows, the pagodas, the lanterns, the sculpture, oh my goodness, have you ever.

Now I ask you, have you ever seen such a gorgeous garden in your life. This was my first visit to a Japanese Garden, and it won't be my last. I can't even imagine what Gibbs must look like in early Spring and Fall. If you ever find yourself in Atlanta, take a quick drive up to Gibbs. It's virtually in the middle of nowhere in a tiny town called Ball Ground, just south of the north Georgia mountains. You could stay in one of the 'boros northeast of Atlanta and its a quick drive up. I hope you have enjoyed this installment of my Kentucky Woman Series. I simply had the most fun creating it for you. It was as though I had stepped back into the garden for a walk. 
Have a fabulous weekend. ENJOY MY FRIENDS!

Linking to Saturday's Critters and The Scoop