 |
| This was a great way to show shoppers how various ground covers might be used in their own spaces |
Under normal circumstances, I eschew the indoor areas of garden centers unless I need to pick up new garden gloves, seeds or fertilizer but as taking plants of any significant size home in my suitcase was impractical, I chose not to tempt myself by spending too much time in the nursery area. And there was a lot to see inside, not to speak of the fact that the nice people at Merrifield welcomed us with beverages, fruit and muffins.
 |
| This was the first time I've seen wine sold in a garden center. What a great idea! |
 |
| I can't remember seeing hats sold in my local garden centers either |
 |
| There were LOTS of decorative items for the garden |
 |
| For some reason, I fell in love with this frog, adorning both a magazine stand and a platter, but I didn't purchase either |
Toward the end of the last jam-packed day of the Fling, we visited a 170 acre estate garden in a rural area of Middleburg, Virginia, the last private garden on the tour. The owners purchased the property and its stone farmhouse, built in 1790, in the 1970s. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the property's goodwill ambassador.
 |
| I've forgotten this handsome corgi's name but he did a great job herding 2 busloads of bloggers in the right direction |
The downside of presenting this garden nearly 3 months following the event is that my memory of many of the details have faded. As I recall, my exploration was largely limited to the area behind the house; however, views of the horse country surrounding the house were visible on all sides.
Arbors of various kinds divided up the main garden area around the house, creating more pretty photo opportunities.
There was a pretty pond.
And an inviting pool.
There were comfortable places to just sit and enjoy the garden too.
Decorative details were scattered throughout the garden but all blended in beautifully with the landscape.
The last day of my first Garden Bloggers' Fling was as wonderful as the first 2 days. Tammy Schmitt (Casa Mariposa) and her team did an excellent job of planning the event and I'm appreciative of how friendly all the Flingers were, as well as the generosity of the hosts who opened their gardens to a hoard of bloggers with their cameras. I'm very glad I attended and only wish I'd been more strategic in my approach to collecting photographs of each of the gardens we visited so I could have presented them in the best possible light. If you'd like to view my prior posts on the Fling you can find them here:
Best wishes for a great weekend.
All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Kris, I want to be there NOW! So many beautiful things to see/buy! I'd hyperventilate!I am totally in love with the cute rabbits at the sides of the path. You are so lucky to visit these wonderful places! Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThe eastern portion of the US is VERY green by comparison to the southwestern area - even I was surprised at just how green it was. Maybe you can join the Garden Bloggers' Fling next year, MDN. It's going to be held in Austin, Texas in early May.You can find more information here: http://gardenbloggersfling.blogspot.com/
DeleteNice photos of this beautiful private garden. Such an exquisite setting.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susie. I wish I'd captured some wider views but that's water under the bridge.
DeleteYou captured some lovely vignettes of that last garden. By then I was to pooped to pop. I just wanted to go lie down somewhere, but of course we still had the dinner to get through. What a bummer that you didn't get the frog. He has a lot of personality.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how many times I looked at that frog but I just couldn't see myself using either the plate or the magazine stand and it seemed a shame to stick either in a cabinet to collect dust.
DeleteI still have both these stops to cover, as well as many others. I'm hoping my memory holds up, although I've long forgotten that sweet dog's name. So will I see you in Austin Kris?
ReplyDeleteI'm planning on making it to Austin, Loree!
DeleteWine for sale at a garden centre! I don't think that idea has caught on over here yet Kris but maybe in the future says she hopefully. I've been clocking up your GBF posts and will be returning for a leisurely read during the winter months.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that selling wine in a garden center isn't permitted in California, or that it involves rigorous licensing requirements, otherwise I'm sure I'd have run into nursery wine cellars before this!
DeleteSo green! Not used to that! Looks like it was fun. Does the passage of a few months enable memories of the heat and humidity fade a bit?
ReplyDeleteI think we were lucky in that the weather was really only uncomfortable that first full day of the Fling. And the air conditioned buses helped!
DeleteGardening on the East Coast is so different, isn't it? It's almost like being in a foreign country--say, England.
ReplyDeleteExactly! Although I was surprised by the number of "exotic" plants in some locations, like the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden on the Washington Mall, that were suitable to the SoCal climate.
DeleteHard to believe over three months has passed since the Fling! Where did summer go? Hope all is well with you, Kris.
ReplyDeleteForget the summer - I can't believe the year is nearly 3/4ths over! Is that you in the second to last photo above pointing a camera in my direction as I had it pointed in the opposite direction, Sue? I wasn't 100% certain.
DeleteI hope your backyard project is going well. And I hope you're going to share it on your blog soon!