Into Fall

No words need be spoken here. ENJOY!

The Butterfly Effect

I have never met a Butterfly I didn't like! Over the decades of photographing nature, I have captured quite a variety of species of Butterflies in their natural habitat. I never tire of watching them flittering around the flower gardens and wildflower fields in Summer. I personally consider them one of God's blessed creatures. They bring no harm to anyone and provide only joy and beauty to everyone. Hang on, we're going Buttering!

THE MONARCHS

Monarch Butterfly, Bernheim Arboretum, Clermont, Kentucky

Monarch Butterfly, Bernheim Arboretum, Clermont, Kentucky

These images of the Monarch I captured five years ago at Bernheim Arboretum in the flower gardens near the Pavilion. The Monarch Butterfly numbers have drastically declined over the course of the last decade. Now there is a new project called The Monarch Butterfly Research Project. Milkweed fields and gardens are being planted around the country to aid in bringing the numbers back up for the beautiful Monarch Butterfly. Let's hope we can save them from extinction by restoring their main food group.

THE SWALLOWTAILS

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, Bernheim Arboretum, Clermont, Kentucky

Our next Butterfly is the Swallowtail and I'm betting everyone viewing this post has seen one in their lifetime. And if not, I'm so sorry. This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is partaking of the nectar at the Butterfly bushes in Bernheim Arboretum some five years ago. You can count on Swallowtails to frequent their favorite bushes, the Butterfly bush.

Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly, Bernheim Arboretum, Clermont, Kentucky

Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly, Bernheim Arboretum, Clermont, Kentucky

These Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterflies are cousins to the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.. I captured these images first at the flower gardens at Bernheim Arboretum in Clermont, Kentucky and the second at Yew Dell Gardens in Crestwood, Kentucky several years ago. The first image shows an Eastern Black Swallowtail stopping at a Button bush at Bernheim while the second shows the bright Dallas Red Lantana at Yew Dell Gardens. Butterflies are attracted to bright orange, yellow, purple and red flowers? It's true.

THE CLOUDEDS

Yellow Clouded Butterfly, Yew Dell Gardens, Crestwood, Kentucky

Cabbage White Clouded Butterfly, Yew Dell Gardens, Crestwood, Kentucky

The Clouded Butterfly family are a much smaller species of Butterfly. Notice the single spot on their wings. Also, did you notice the clouded edge of the Yellow Clouded. Clouded Butterflies love the Butterfly Bush, Milkweed, Coneflowers, Alfalfa, Dandelions, Clover and Tall Verbena. I suppose you could call them the 'not so particular Butterfly'. It's very difficult to get really good images of these little Butterflies. They don't stay still long.

Before I leave you today, I wanted you to know I will have a second post on Butterflies to share soon. Have a fantastic weekend all. We are getting the remnants of Tropical Depression Cindy this weekend here in the mid state of Tennessee. Back soon. ENJOY!

Barns of Kentucky

It is the perfect day to share some of the many beautiful barns I have photographed throughout the Bluegrass State of Kentucky. Kentucky has my heart, as it is my home state. I have wandered many a back road and scenic byway in Kentucky stopping along the side of the road or at times even pulled into the edge of a driveway to snap photos of a barn on my journeys. I hope you enjoy this look back as much as I enjoyed creating it. Off we go!

Historic Manchester Farms, Summer, Bluegrass Scenic Byway, Lexington, Kentucky

Barn, Horse Farm, Late Fall, Bluegrass Scenic Byway, Midway, Kentucky

Barn, Horse Farm, Fall, Bluegrass Scenic Byway, Midway, Kentucky

Vintage Barn Adorned with Rock City Logo, Maker's Mark Distillery, Summer, Loretto, Kentucky

 Barn for Curing Bourbon, Summer, Maker's Mark Distillery, Loretto, Kentucky

Tobacco Barn, Fall, Bluegrass Scenic Byway, Midway, Kentucky

Vintage Barn turned Antiques Shop, Fall, Historic Glendale, Kentucky

White Barn Adorned with Quilt Logo, Fall, Bluegrass Scenic Byway, Midway, Kentucky

Red Barn, Visitor Center, Yew Dell Gardens, Crestwood, Kentucky

Barn, Amish Farm, Summer, Scottsville, Kentucky

Vintage Barn Adorned with Rock City Logo, Summer, Bardstown, Kentucky

There you have it. Some of the barns I have photographed over the years while traveling the back roads and the scenic byways of the great state of Kentucky. I have to say I am very partial to the Bluegrass Region for obvious reasons. I especially love it in Fall, but Summer is nice too.

I hope you enjoyed taking a look back over the years at the beautiful barns throughout Kentucky. My favorite photo is the first one of Manchester Farms in Lexington taken some 15 years ago. At that time I used a Pentax K1000 manual camera with Fuji Velvia slide film. It was difficult learning 'to shoot the light' using that seemingly antiquated camera. Interestingly enough, that is the camera they still use in photography classes throughout colleges everywhere. I can see why. Many a roll of slide film was used to create that beautiful photo. I hope you will share with me your favorite image(s) on this journey of old historic and vintage barns. ENJOY!

Linking to Barn Collective

Blue Aster Dreams

At Yew Dell Gardens in Crestwood, Kentucky, many seasons back, I walked among the gardens and captured images of brightly colored flowers blooming throughout the flower beds. These Blue Asters were blooming in abundance as I stopped to captured a couple of images. Butterflies were flitting all around the blooms while a cool breeze blew. It was the perfect Fall day in Kentucky with plenty of sunshine and blue skies.

Here in Tennessee, there are signs of Fall's approach slowly creeping into my daily life. As I shop online I see new Fall decor showing up in the web stores. As I travel around the city, I see 'Help Wanted' signs perched on lawns and hanging on drive thru windows everywhere, as teenagers have returned to their books, leaving shops and restaurants in need of help.

Browsing local boutiques and shops, I discover new displays set out for Halloween with wreaths and garland and witches on brooms adorning tables and mantels alike. Soon there will be pumpkins and hay bales and dried corn stalks lining doorways, walkways and driveways. Temps will wane to chilly and the nights will turn crisp. Talk of witch's brews and cauldrons, of scarecrows coming to life in the night, will bring fright to the faces of youngsters. Falling leaves and painted pumpkins, candy corn and trick or treats. Fall is making it's way in as the dusty, heat saturated days of Summer bid us a fond farewell. I hope you have enjoyed this post as I bring you beautiful flowers and my fond memories of Fall's past. Wherever you may be on today, I wish you a wonderful weekend. ENJOY!

Autumn Changes

As the weather cools and nights grow longer, 

the flowers and plants at Yew Dell Gardens will wither and die,

Fall sets in bringing with it a chill and then a frost,

One final hoorah brings leaves of bright reds and yellows, 

And finally, as though in protest, they fall away to the earth.

The sunflowers have wilted and hang dead from their stalks.

The last remains of the pumpkins and ghourds in the garden lay as though forgotten.

The Black Eyed Susans bright yellow pedals are dried and crusty.

Fear not dear friends,
for as Autumn passes through to Winter,
children wonder the lanes gathering candies to eat on All Hallowed's Eve,

tables will be set in earnest with Thanksgiving meals,

Christmas parties will take place throughout the community,

New Year's Eve brings champagne flowing and crystal balls to drop,

the frivolity of the holiday season will prevail. ENJOY!

Yew Dell Gardens

All of the images from this week were taken at Yew Dell Gardens in Crestwood, Kentucky. Here's a simple collage of some of the images I captured last Sunday at Yew Dell.

Everyone have a fantastic weekend. The weather here in the Bluegrass State has been gorgeous all week with 'no' humidity and cool temps at night with beautiful blue sky days. Oh how blessed. Are you enjoying your first week of Fall? ENJOY!

Pale Clouded Butterfly

Poetry takes me back to my teen years when after school I would disappear into my room and read Rod McKuen's poetic phrases and envision that I could write such melodic thoughts. As a young girl, he was a God send taking me to far away places through his simplistic phrases allowing me to escape to a world I could never know. Today, occasionally I write my own poetic phrases. The words serve to give life to my photographs that I have captured among the settings I escape to today in a world I know very well. ENJOY!

Sunflower's Bounty

Summer's end brings many changes as Autumn takes hold.

As I walked among the trees, the shrubs, the plants, the flowers and the gardens of Yew Dell Gardens in Crestwood on Sunday, I was reminded of Summer, but also of what is to come with this new season. The plants and flowers were beginning to show signs of want. I lingered among the tall stalks seeking to capture the moment. ENJOY!

SUNFLOWERS . . .

Sunflowers stood tall in a small garden patch.

Flowers hung heavy on lanky stalks.

Leaves dried and brittle.

Blooms devoid of color.

Seeds the only proof of life.

Yew Dell Gardens, A Fall Walk

My good intentions were dashed. I tried so hard to get back to Yew Dell Gardens during the Summer to take some photos of the beautiful flower garden in full bloom, but sadly I missed it. That's quite alright, because Fall is a beautiful time to visit Yew Dell, as is any time.

Last week we took a walk around the wildflower meadow at Bernheim. Now come join me as we take a walk around the beautifully landscaped grounds at Yew Dell. Almost immediately we arrive at the Castle which stands just off the main entrance and gift shop. Here the Castle's wall is being overtaken by long strands of green ivy trailing up the side of the old stone walls. The huge Elephant Ears are so large its as though they are greeting each visitor who enters.

Walking past the Castle, I stepped down into one of the gardens and turned to snap an image of the Castle as I stood behind some tall grasses.

Then I made my way around the gardens where Fall is obviously taken hold and all of the beautiful blooms are mostly gone. But I still love the colors that Fall leaves behind.

A White Sulphur Butterfly was busily feeding on what was left of Summer's blooms.

As I walked back toward the north end of the grounds, I turned to snap this image showing a portion of the gardens that lay just beneath the courtyard and the Castle itself. It's a beautiful place and so serene.

Then I decided to take a walk over toward the other gardens on the grounds and while doing so walked down a path where I turned to find this view looking by at me. More tall grasses glowing in Fall's light. If you ever get to Louisville, Yew Dell is a fifteen minute drive northeast in Crestwood. There's a minimal charge that is well worth every dime. Oh, did I mention they have hiking trails. They do and one day I've got to give them a test drive. I hope you're enjoying our walks. I know I am. Have a wonderful evening all. ENJOY!

Cabbage White Sulphur Butterfly

And you thought all I photographed were birds. I do still vary things up a little. As is told in my last post featuring one of the globe's best known bourbon brands, Maker's Mark. And yesterday after almost a year, I finally paid a second visit to Yew Dell Gardens. Albeit, I was a little late for all of the Summer blooms. I did, however, catch this beautiful Cabbage White Sulphur flittering about the remaining blooms in the flower beds there.

I promise to share a few more of the images I captured yesterday at Yew Dell soon. Hope your weekend is a great one. And least anyone reading this post thinks that I'm not on top of things . . . HAPPY FIRST DAY OF FALL! ENJOY!

Bed and Breakfast for the Birds

Sunken Gardens, Yew Dell

As late Fall brings cooler temps, I stopped in on a Sunday afternoon for my first visit to Yew Dell Botanical Gardens several weeks ago. What I found amongst all of the gardens was this beautiful area of Yew Dell called 'The Sunken Gardens.'

The trees and plants that grow here come from the farthest reaches of our Mother Earth from the Himalayan Mountains to the southwestern United States and farther south to Central America. My favorite part of The Sunken Gardens, however, is this gorgeous tree and the beautiful sculpture that resides next to it. I can't wait to get back to Yell Dew soon to take more photos. I do have other photos from this visit I'll post soon. ENJOY!

Fall Leaves IV, Yew Dell Botanical Gardens

Most of us take in the Fall leaves we see every day on the trees in our yard and in the parks such as the Maples, Oaks and Elms. I passed this bush at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens near The Castle awash in golds and browns and couldn't resist a few images. Isn't is splendid?

It was truly a treat to visit this beautiful botanical gardens even in late Fall. I promise I'll get back to Yew Dell soon. As a matter of fact, I can foresee a visit to Yew Dell during a snow event this winter should the road conditions permit. Until then this 'splendorosa' of golds and browns will suffice. It's going to be a balmy 70 degrees today. Dare I trek to the park, the preserve, the refuge? Stay tuned. ENJOY!

The Castle, Yew Dell Botanical Gardens

Finally, I paid a visit to Yew Dell Botanical Gardens today, after several failed attempts. Yew Dell is situated in Crestwood, Kentucky, a large bedroom community just northeast of Louisville. Today was a picture perfect day, with beautiful blue skies and just the slightest breeze, to pay a visit to the gardens, albeit late Fall and most of the color on the trees is down. And yes, those are pepper plants in the foreground of this first image that greet you at the entrance to the gardens.

You can Google Yew Dell Botanical Gardens and their website comes right up. On their 'About' page, they offer this:

Yew Dell is a nationally-recognized center of gardening and sustainable horticulture that offers extensive display gardens, a diverse slate of educational programs, family-oriented community events, ongoing research into new and better garden plants, and a wide range of private event facilities. Yew Dell offers something for everyone from homeowners and beginning gardeners to green industry professionals, school children and families, hikers, academics in plant and environmental fields and more. Yew Dell Botanical Gardens is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Preservation Project of the Garden Conservancy, a national non-profit dedicated to preserving the Nation's most exceptional gardens.

A little background on the origin of this beautiful garden. Thomas Klein, an internationally known expert plantsman, and his wife, purchased 33 acres just north of Louisville in 1941. Spending the next 60 years, they built an exquisite estate, a successful nursery and a vast collection of unusual plants and outstanding gardens. Having a flair for architecture, Klein built several structures on the property which he termed Yew Dell. After Klein's death in 1998, several individuals decided to purchase the property to preserve the estate and the accompanying gardens. And I, for one, am very happy they did.

The gardens are situated in a small centralized area of the estate. Of all of the images I captured today, here are two vantage points of the Castle and the Overlook Garden which sits right off the Castle Terrace. Klein built the Castle as a pool house and the terrace was the pool. The Castle is now used for social functions while the terrace allows visitors to sit and look out over the Overlook Garden.

No doubt Yew Dell was gorgeous earlier this Fall. I do have more images I'll post soon. And yes, I'll be going back to Yew Dell especially this Spring and earlier in the Fall next year. Here is a list of the places I've visited recently to capture the beautiful reds, oranges, yellows and greens of Fall over the past two to three weeks: Blackacre Nature Preserve, Mustatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest, Cherokee Park, the scenic route to Leavenworth, Indiana, the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky, and of course, Yew Dell. Click older posts at the bottom to go to those pages or click the keyword on the sidebar. Needless to say, I'm a tad weary. Hope you have a wonderful week. ENJOY!