Spring Has Sprung!

I know many of you, myself included, are more than ready for spring to arrive!

So today I thought I'd share with you the gorgeous spring blooms at our local botanical gardens

As members, we were invited the other day to a pre show, and WOW, what a show it was!

 We are so fortunate to have the gardens nearby, and walk Katie their nearly every day on their many trails and scenic drives.

  I snapped alot of pictures, so I will let them do most of the talking:)

 The scents were amazing!

 The conservatory had tons of stunning amaryllis, more than I have ever seen before!

 Isn't this flower fairy, below, charming and sweet?

 So many colors, it was a feast for the eyes!

 Just look at these gorgeous orchids!  They all are on one plant!

 Daffodils are favorites of mine, so cheery, I think!

 Wish you could smell everything!

 Ok, this isn't a flower, but I had to share.  The huge kumquat tree in the tropical dome was loaded!  I was oh so tempted to stuff one in my mouth:)

 Kites hanging from the ceiling add a fun and festive touch!

 The amaryllis blossoms were huge, each bloom larger than my outstretched hand!

Thanks for joining me on my little tour today!

Here is wishing spring comes early for us all!

Summer Blooms

It's been a beautiful summer for the most part here in Michigan.

Sunny skies, warm days, and plenty of rain have my flowers looking happy!

Well, the weeds too, but they don't make me happy, haha!

 My purple coneflower are the prettiest they've been in years.  I've been picking bouquet after bouquet of them.  I used to cut them back in the fall, but I found that if I leave them standing, the birds  enjoy dining in their seeds all winter long.  And as a bonus, I end up with more flowers the next year!

 I also really love my black eyed Susans. They are so cheery, and have been blooming their hearts out!

 As you can see, this large bed is a bit on the wild side, but that's how I like it!  Not too groomed, just full and lush.

 Wait, what do we have here.................?

 Looks like "someone" has been busy munching on my hostas!

I have tons of hostas in our yard, and I had forgotten to reapply the deer repellant.  It is all natural and doesn't hurt the animals.  It really works, but it smells to high heaven!!

(think "rotten eggs".  ugh!!!)

 My zinnias are so pretty, and are blooming a bit earlier than normal.

 I saved their seeds from last year, along with my cosmos and marigold seeds.

 I wish you could see how large this lovely orange one is.  Believe it or not, it's much bigger than the palm of my hand!

 Another large hosta bed, along with more black eyed Susans.

 The black eyed Susans are so hardy, they tend to crowd everything else out!

 A little birdie "planted" this sunflower!

 Cheery and tall orange cosmos.  I've saved these seeds for the past several years.

You can't beat free flowers!

 What's blooming in your garden?

Destressing at the Garden Center

Bon jour Mes Amis!

Hubby and I just returned from a week of camping in our motor home in northern Michigan. We had such a great time, and Katie loved it too!  I neglected to take any photos, other than a visit we took to a beautiful garden center that's just a few miles from the campground we stayed at.  

Not only do they have some gorgeous plants and flowers in their huge green houses, but they have really neat gift shops, a cute little cafe, and lots of display gardens to enjoy and inspire.

 Isn't this angel serene looking among the blooms?

 I wish you could have seen the hydrangeas, they were stunning!  I am in love with these gorgeous blue ones!

 I thought this was the neatest table, in the patio outside of the cafe.

Notice the center?  They built a "trough" and planted it with herbs.  How fun!

Hubby and I split a really yummy sandwich for lunch on the patio.

What a great setting for the cafe.

 I was loving all of the water features.  I would love to have one of these fountains at home!  The sound of trickling water is so soothing, I think.

 This pine topiary was so neat, and must have been over 6 feet tall.

 Another water feature, below.

 Just look at this darling little garden fairy village!

 The stone like homes were made of concrete, and were just the cutest ever!

 Beautiful astilbe.

 It'snot showing up well in the photo, but below is a cute little bike planter.  I love the metal sunflower stake next to it!

 I was drooling over the cosmos, spider flowers, and purple salvia!

 Cheery sunflower.

 This cute little metal fence featured pretty hibiscus at the top.

 This clematis was even prettier in person than my photo could capture.

 How about this friendly looking squirrel planter?!

 I love lavender!

 Also on the property is this cute little blue guest cottage that you can rent out.

 In front was the biggest hosta plant I've ever seen!  It's much bigger than it looks here, it came nearly to my chest, and must have been almost 8 feel across!

 I loved this pretty statue, below.

 Notice the sign, hanging above moi?

It truly was a stress free environment!

And let me tell you, it was so needed!  With our house on the market for nearly 2 months, the stress of not knowing when, if or where we will be moving, along with other life challenges, really got the best of me, in all honesty.

It was just so good to veg out and decompress on our camping trip.

 Another pretty fountain.

 Pretty window boxes greeted you as you walked in the front door of the main greenhouse.  I love the vibrant colors of these pretty orange begonias.

 And I thought this window box was so cute with the gnomes!  Notice the gazing balls inside?

 Here is a view of the outside.  It's much larger than I could get in one shot!

Thanks for joining me on my little tour, hope you have a great weekend!