Sweet Peas

I'm going to plant sweet pea seeds this weekend. It's been so warm, that I think they will be blooming by May! They are so fragrant, pretty and easy to grow.

Flower Dress

via http://christenstrang.blogspot.com/

Every once in a while you see something that you have to share. I am in awe of this flower dress. Amazing.

Vancouver 2011 - Part Two

We decided to go to BUTCHART GARDENS and VICTORIA on the second Day. This involved taking a FERRY from the downtown over to Vancouver Island. If you plan on doing this, I would advise spending the NIGHT in Victoria as going back and forth in the same day make for VERY LONG day. We were the LAST car on this ferry. Half hour drive from DOWNTOWN, 30 min. to 1 hour WAIT at the ferry and 90 minutes to CROSS. We got there 45 min. early and we were the last car. It wasn't cheap either. $70 Canadian dollars EACH WAY.

The crossing is so picturesque. Lushly forested islands with storybook houses. There was a whale in the bay on our way back, but we were not lucky enough to see him. It took both of us about 3 minutes to figure out what the guy said on the P.A. By the time we got to the other side of the boat, the whale was gone.

Our first stop was the STUNNING BUTCHART GARDENS. I have NEVER seen anything like this. Made from an old QUARRY, it is now a SPECTACULAR garden. As we rounded the corner at the SUNKEN GARDEN

you could hear everyone GASPING IN AWE. Grown men were commenting OUT-LOUD that it was the MOST BEAUTIFUL garden they had ever seen.

The flower beds were jam packed with Tulips, Hyacinth, Forget-me-nots, Daffodils, Rhododendron, little button like flowers. It was the first time I could SMELL a garden. The paths were PERFUMED with a HEAVENLY SWEET smell. I think it was the Hyacinths.

Every COLOR combination you could imagine. Each flower bed layered in depth. Every flower looked like it JUST OPENED.

Not only were the flowers amazing, but the TREES were so peaceful and some colorful.

They had this wonderful DANCING waters fountain.

There were many things to catch your eye.

This moss covered toad had SUCCULENTS for his eyes.

So many tulips from the most SIMPLE to the COMPLEX!

This is a HOG fountain that everyone rubs for GOOD LUCK!

This was the house that is facing the Rose Garden. The Rose Garden was not in bloom. It was only 8 in. sticks with new leaves. I'm glad we arrived at this time of year and were able to see all the bulbs in bloom because we just don't get these beautiful flowers in MASS in California.

Flowers

I went to Costco to buy my flowers for Easter. I was expecting to get mostly white roses and a few orange flowers, but when I got there, the selection of orange flowers was AMAZING! I ended up getting some incredible RUFFLED TULIPS and RANUNCULUS. Consequently, my Easter bouquets were quite ORANGE overall.

1st Spring Bouquet from the Garden

A little freesia, iceberg roses and lavender. I don't know what the big purple flowers are. They sure are pretty. Lots of little star flowers making one big pom pom.

The fushia colored flowers are from my Sweet Pea shrub.

I love spring!

Signs of Spring!

It is a misty morning here in So. Cal, but should be clear by tomorrow.  I took these pictures this week of my garden.  It is not bursting with color everywhere, but there is color here and there.
My back garden faces west and in the summer it is blazing hot.  Especially in Sept and the first part of Oct.  
It takes really hardy plants to survive the summer!  I have to water twice a day.  In the morning and by 2:00-3:00.  If I don't do the afternoon watering, everything wilts!

My garden is mostly purple, blue and white just because it is small and it feels more uniform and peaceful to me.  I do have the occassional pink though - who could live without pink?
I have some Irises in the front garden.  They come and go so fast!  I hope you enjoyed these flowers, I sure do!