A Break in the Rain #SkywatchFriday

Tuesday, it rained some (finally!)  Yesterday it rained more.  But on Wednesday, we got out to a local botanical garden and I decided to take pictures of the changing sky. 

While I was at it, I took some pictures of flowers that included the sky.

The rows of yellow and red are zinnias. 

Another view, including French marigolds.

Perhaps (no promises!) I'll post some better pictures of some of the flowers another time.

Next Thursday the forecast low is 39 F (3.8 C). Our first frost may not be that far away, but then again, October begins on Wednesday.  And, our leaves are already starting to turn, although I don't expect fantastic color due to the drought we've been in.

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers each Friday for #SkywatchFriday. 

Labyrinth #ShadowshotSunday

A labyrinth in a local botanical garden is the topic of today's Shadowshot Sunday, brought to us by Lisa at Lisa's Garden Adventures.

The labyrinth.

Instructions.

A nearby rose plant.

Binghamton's Unexpected Garden #AtoZChallenge

For today, I want to show you an unexpected garden that waits for visitors, in clear view of I-81 going through Binghamton, New York.  

I imagine it patiently waits for one of the thousands of cars that pass it each day to pull off the highway at the nearby exit and take a few minutes to wander its paths.  After all, who would expect something like this hidden gem in the Southern Tier of New York?

Residents know.  Now you will know, too.

Welcome to Cutler Botanic Garden.  Tended mainly by volunteers, you can visit it for the best admission price ever - it's free.

Did I mention it's an AAS Display Garden, one of about 350 throughout the United States? Or that it contains a display garden of the American Daylily Society, one of about 250 in the United States?

This garden was given its start by Francis Cutler, who donated the land to the Cornell Cooperative Extension Service in 1978.  The garden opened in 1979.  Its missions include education and just plain enjoyment.  There is also a beautiful small rose garden that is a venue for weddings and other celebrations.

Let's take a look.

At the entrance, in season, a Korean dogwood in bloom.

Hosta garden.

One of the roses.  A number of them are antique roses.

The daylily display garden is a highlight of the garden in July.

Overview of the day lily display garden.

One of the many daylilies.  I've purchased some of mine from them at an annual plant sale in May.

"Plant smiles, harvest love".   This was part of the entries to a Whimsical Garden Landscape Design Challenge from AAS last year.

As was this.

One final view of the daylilies before we leave.

"B" day for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme:  Gardens, History, Art and The Unexpected.

Much Ado In the Garden #WordlessWednesday

Shakespeare lives in our local botanical garden.

Each July, Cornell Cooperative holds Much Ado in the Garden, four hours of people dressed up as they would have in Shakespeare's time, children's games and activities, a Shakespeare scavenger hunt for plants that would have been grown in Shakepeare's time, Morris dancing, and even an abridged play.  

This year's festival was Sunday.

We arrived early, before a lot of the activities, because much of it was outdoors and it looked like it might rain (we did get a drenching shower and decided to leave shortly after).

Enjoy some highlights:

Shakespeare era plants and quotes in this and the next three photos.  Alas, most violets bloom earlier in spring.

Shakespeare was a wise man, but the garden chamomile appeared to be missing in action.

This botanical garden, which is small (but free), has a Rose Walk.  This Shakespearean era rose (a musk) was one of the few still in bloom. The quote is "There we will make our beds of Roses and a thousand fragrant posies." (Merry Wives of Windsor, act iii, scene i.)

"Fairies Use Flowers for their charactery" Merry Wives of Windsor act v sc 5

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

Voodoo Lily #WordlessWednesday

At Binghamton, New York's Cutler Botanic Gardens, the voodoo lily was in bloom Saturday.

I was fortunate enough to see it, although I didn't want to get too close (I'll explain why later).

Here are a couple of pictures.   Unfortunately, I managed to cut part of the explanatory sign off in my photos.

This is said to be the largest flower of the plant kingdom.  I've actually seen one once before - indoors.

I dared to come a little closer.  

The sign, incidentally, says "Dracunculus Vulgaris Voodoo Lily Smell my Flowers If You Dare"

I wasn't going to dare.  Some people call it the Corpse Flower, for good reason.

 

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for #WordlessWednesday.

No Lilacs Just Roses for my Mom

The young me, growing up in an apartment in New York City, ordered Jackson and Perkins rose catalogs just to look at the pictures, and to dream about growing roses.

My mother loved a talcum powder called Lilacs and Roses, and I've always associated these two flowers with my memories of her.

I have several lilac bushes.  But no roses.

I gave up growing roses soon after moving from Northwest Arkansas to the Southern Tier of New York

The house we purchased a few months after moving here had a beautiful red climbing rose on the western side of the house.  Our next door neighbor, now deceased, had lived in his house since right after World War II, and thought a previous owner had brought the rose plant from a previous residence, possibly in Texas. (This was over 30 years ago, so I don't quite remember)

I got tired of fighting the diseases and the Japanese Beetles.  I hate ripping out plants, but we ripped this rose out.

Now, I let others grow roses and I just come by and admire them.  Our free botanical gardens, Cutler Botanic Gardens, has a Rose Walk which I visit once or twice a year.  I love to take pictures and share with my readers to brighten their days.  We all need bright days in these grim times, do we not?

I visited Cutler on what would have been my mother's birthday, June 4. 

My phone was acting up on me and so I couldn't capture all the names.  But enjoy.

 Belle de Crécy 

Celsiana, which apparently dates from at least 1750.

Sir Thomas Lipton. (I know I've had this on my blog before).

York and Lancaster, a historic rose, dating from around 1551.

A multicolored rose I couldn't enter on my phone for some reason.

And a rose with a name that autocorrect mangled into something totally incomprehensible.

Perhaps my Mom was with me on these rose walks in spirit.  I'd like to think so.

Do you grow roses?