Beautiful Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania~

 How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence.  ~Benjamin Disraeli

On our recent spring trip, we visited our cousin who lives near Wilmington, Delaware.   There are  at least two beautiful gardens in the Wilmington area that are connected with Dupont estates.  One is Winterthur and the other is Longwood Gardens.   Longwood happens to be nearby in Pennsylvania.   Both garden estates are spectacular and seeing them in the springtime was wonderful, as all the early flowers had bloomed and trees had budded.   Put these gardens on your “must-see” list.  You will not forget them.  I will post Winterthur’s home and gardens at another time.  

Both Longwood and Winterthur have incorporated naturalized plantings.  As you walk through the woods, you are greeted with redbuds, cherry trees, creeping phlox, scattered daffodils, blue bells, azaleas and many more delights.   It truly is a treasure to behold;  a fanciful, magical setting, and one I’d love to create at my home.  (in my lifetime?!!)    Join me as we begin our walk through Longwood Gardens in the more formal flower beds.   Then we’ll walk through the woods, passing a lovely pond, and finally finish in the huge conservatory.  Let’s go!

Please click on a photo to start the gallery.

Formal beds.

Foxglove setting.

Whisper in one corner, you can hear in the other corner of this bench.

Lovely yellows.

All plantings are naturalized.

Redbud.

The naturalized plantings in the wooded area were gorgeous.

Some were Double-Bloom Redbuds.

I loved the pond, as you can see!

Purple creeping phlox.

Peace….

Wisteria was everywhere! Stunning!

Conservatory entrance….

The “Living Wall”. Plants on both sides of the hallway. Incredible!

I love these “Cones”! Haven’t looked them up yet.

Massive hanging basket of Fuchsia.

Newel post in the extraordinary children’s area.

Hanging baskets of geraniums.

The Orchid Room….

another orchid…..

Passion Flower.

Allee~a path through trees. (no accent available)

I hope you enjoyed our abbreviated  tour of Longwood Gardens.  There’s so much more to see than what I presented here.

If you’d like to learn more about the Gardens at Longwood, click here.

Thanks for visiting today…have a great day!

Judy

All text and images are copyright © 2002-2012 and are the exclusive property of Judy Johnson (unless otherwise indicated). All Rights Reserved. All Images are protected under United States and International copyright laws. None of the images on this site are in the Public Domain.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Random

Since there was no official WordPress Photo Challenge this week, several of us are doing our own.  I followed Maggie’s path and did RANDOM.  Random can mean scattered, as in these scattered leaves from fall.

Scattered Leaves

I sit in the warm fall sun,
The wind whirling about me.
My face is upturned to
Feel the warmth
Of the rays on my face.
I welcome the sunshine
After so many days of rain.
The wind caresses and tickles,
Blowing my hair askew.
It sends leaves scattering
In a vortex of color
Around me,
And I am dazzled by
Their beauty.

Judy

All text and images are copyright © 2002-2012 and are the exclusive property of Judy Johnson (unless otherwise indicated). All Rights Reserved. All Images are protected under United States and International copyright laws. None of the images on this site are in the Public Domain.

As Delicate as a Thread?

Hello friends….
I have something old and something new, something delicate and something strong.

My daughter gave me a lovely necklace for Christmas that I coveted for a long time.   It’s silver, turquoise and sweetly delicate, with a tiny bird on the dangle section.  As strong as the necklace is, its appearance is as delicate as a thread.

 With the fine look the necklace has, I paired it with some vintage, wooden spools of thread for the photo.
While the spools have a hefty look,  the thread has a delicate look, as does the necklace.

Can something as dainty and delicate as a thread be strong?  Even as strong as a wooden spool?

If you have a friend, parent, spouse, child, partner or someone you care about, you know the threads that bind us are very strong indeed.   In a true relationship those threads will not break.  They may fray a bit, but they will hold strong.  And with love and care they can be repaired.   Friendship, love and caring are the threads that connect people all over the world.   Strong?   You bet.

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                      “Friendship is the golden thread that ties the hearts of all the world.”   ~unknown

Thinking of you, my friends….
Judy

Click here to go to the etsy.com store “RoseAndRaven” (necklace purchase/great jewelry here)

All images are copyright © 2005-2012 and are the exclusive property of Judy Johnson (unless otherwise indicated). All Rights Reserved. All Images are protected under United States and International copyright laws. None of the images on this site are in the Public Domain.

 

 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RoseAndRaven?page=1

Frame your photos before clicking the shutter button!

Good evening readers~
Tonight I have a photography suggestion.  It’s one I have enjoyed using for many years.

Sometimes it’s difficult to frame or “set up” a photo well.  Using “props” can help frame your photo and make it more interesting.

My suggestion?  Try taking photos THROUGH, UNDER, BETWEEN : through an inside window, a door, an archway, a hole in a fence, under a bridge, between branches on a tree, between two buildings….the possibilities are endless.  It’s all about Framing your photo before you shoot.

Remember to focus on what you want to have sharp and clear in your final photo.  If you want the scene outside the window/arch, etc., to be clear, then make sure you focus on that.  If you want the window panes to be sharp and clear, then focus on them, but remember, your scene outside the window will be soft and blurry.

Once you get started, you will see all kinds of opportunities….so carry your camera as often as you can!   Here are some examples….

 

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Soon you will be ready to print and FRAME your photo for a wall!  ;)

Thanks for visiting….
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving….
Judy

 

 

Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha, Nebraska

Featuring the works of Jun Kaneko, sculptor and media artist.

Lauritzen Gardens are situated not far from downtown Omaha.  Yet, one feels as if they have been transported to a beautiful secluded space, far from the hustle and bustle of a large city.
The gardens are spectacular, with many themes to delight the eye and lens.  There is a Rose Garden, a Model Train Garden,  Spring Flowering,  Victorian, Woodland,  English,  Childrens’,  and many more garden theme areas.

Jun Kaneko is a prolific artist whose focus was drawn to sculptural ceramics, as we saw in the Lauritzen Gardens.  Mainly known as a sculptor, he also works with glass, textiles, bronze, paper and canvas.

On this occasion in the summer,  Kaneko’s contemporary ceramic sculptures were nestled amongst the plantings in the gardens.  It was a great opportunity to see the sculptures mingling with the leaves and stalks as if they had “grown” there with the foliage.  Their colors and shapes looked very peaceful and natural in the gardens.  It was an exceptional experience, and one I will always remember.

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I hope you enjoyed the tour through the Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha and the ceramic sculptures of Jun Kaneko.

Click here for information on Lauritzen Gardens.

Click here for information on Jun Kaneko.
Thanks for visiting!    Judy 

Quote~

Getting cold? Let’s go to an island!

St. Simons Island, Georgia!

St. Simons Island is a beautiful barrier island off the coast of Georgia.  It is the largest of Georgia’s Golden Isles.  St. Simons Island has a total area of 16.6 square miles.  The nearest town is Brunswick, GA, across the causeway.  Savannah, GA is about 2 hours north.  Many historical places to see, great restaurants, beautiful beaches and an average November temperature of 70 degrees make it a great place to visit! 

A cleat for tying a boat to the pier

A view of the shore.

Live Oaks with spanish moss.Beautiful beach and ocean….
Below: the St. Simons Lighthouse and Museum.

Quote~

Quote~

Hello readers!

I collect quotes.  They inspire me, make me laugh, and make me think.  I’ve taken photos of quotes I’ve typed in interesting fonts, but I decided to try something new.  I combined quotes with my photos.  I hope it works!   Whew!  It did!  Now I’m excited to try more!

Good night all~

Bringing some sun to a dreary day~

Dear Readers,

Today was a dreary day here.  I decided I needed some sunshine!  I’ve also been working on my macro photography (close up photos).  For these photos I used my Nikon D-80 and 3 PROMASTER 7- Extension Tubes: 36mm, 20mm, and 12mm.  The extension tubes can be used singly or in any combination to get the shot you desire.  They are cheaper than purchasing many macro lenses, and with three of them, gives me several options to play with.

I’m posting a few of my recent macro photos.  I was fortunate to have a few flowers left in the garden beds to practice on!  It’s still a work in progress.  I have to work a lot on technique, and it’s scary for me to put this out on the internet!

Coreopsis above.

 Black-Eyed Susan above.                                          Rose above.

At least the flowers give us a bit of sunshine today!

Have a lovely Thursday evening and thanks for coming to visit~