Friday, August 27, 2010

I'm a winner!



Earlier this month I entered a giveaway
Amy was giving away a set of plant markers
created by Lindsay at Homespun Sprout's Etsy Store!
(Lindsay also has a blog full of her creative ventures!)
And I won!
Look at what I received in the mail today!


Cute little homemade cloth storage bag filled with~
the 5 sweetest vintage spoon plant markers!
(Drat Blogger for turning my pic! Does this
happen to anyone else?)
I got to choose what five veggies/flowers/ herbs
I would like to have!
The Carrot marker even has my last name initial on it!
I wonder if Lindsay planned that?



Perfect in front of one of my lavender plants!

I wonder if this one will help my tomatoes to ripen soon?
I have 40 plants that look just like this one!
~*~
Thanks, ladies! What a fun prize!
I hope you all will pay a visit to both of these
gals, if you haven't already. You will be
so glad you did!
~*~
"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win."
I Corinthians 9:24

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Butchart Gardens Tour Final Day

The Italian Garden as seen from
the Rose Garden.






(Below)
Looking across the pool up into
the Rose Garden.


Above ~ The Star Fountain





A shock of happy colors in a pot.
The sun is setting in the garden.

The Sturgeon Fountain

In the cool depths of a dark shadowy pool
of The Japanese Garden.

I have heard that these bridges are not
made in a straight line so that
evil spirits cannot follow! :~O


My favorite of all the vignettes in the Japanese Garden~
The Boar Scarer!
As the water fills the bamboo from above
it suddenly slaps down on the rock with a
loud smack! thus scaring the boar (I like to think deer!)
away! I really need one of these!


A little stream trickling merrily through the deep
shade of the woods.

Leaving the Japanese Garden.

A couple of shots of the glassed in "Picture Window".

Lush tropical beauty!





The swiftly moving water wheel as we
exit the Butchart Gardens!
~*~
We caught our bus for a ride back to
downtown Victoria and an evening stroll
to our hotel.
The Empress at night!
(This was not our hotel, however!)



From across the street as bustling cars and pedestrians
enjoy the evening sights!

Or, you could take a horse drawn carriage!

The Parliament Buildings
from across the harbour.
~*~
The next day was spent strolling the shops,
enjoying a heavenly delight from
Rogers Chocolates,
a walk through China Town,
and spending the entire afternoon in
the Royal B.C. Museum.
There was so much to see and do
but the last boat home was about to
sail.
The Harbour in Victoria
as our ship departs!

The sun sets on our lovely time in Victoria B.C.
~*~
We did spend a couple of days camping in the back of
our *rig* aka our car once back in Washington, and taking in the sights of
the now famous town of Forks (because of Twilight, the movie.
Go figure!), and a lovely time in the Hoh Rain Forest.
Unfortunately, the battery went dead on my camera.
Alas ~ no pictures! :~{
We had a wonderful time away, the Gentleman Farmer and I,
but it is so good to come back.
There is no place like home!
~*~
"Then the Lord said to Jacob, 'return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you."
Genesis 31:3

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Butchart Garden Tour Part 4

Come with me to The Rose Garden!
~*~
"I come to the garden alone,
while the dew is still on the roses"
In the Garden
by Austin Miles
~*~
Sorry about the lighting in the photos.
This was the hottest part
of the afternoon (around 100*) and not good
for great pictures!

I waited for some 20 minutes or more
to get a photo of the alee without
a person in the shot!









Mmmm! One of my favorite plants
Heliotrope!
The heady scent of rich vanilla
or cherry pie!
Delphiniums and Roses
are delightful companions!



This shot above is a wee bit reminiscent
of Narnia! I expected to see Mr. Tumnus,
the faun, at any moment!














~*~
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God."
Isaiah 35:1&2
~*~
Tomorrow ~ The Japanese Garden
&
The Italian Garden