Holiday Blooms

It is that time of year - - Happy Holidays!

Holidays and decorations wherever you look: up and down the streets, inside and outside the homes.  From now and into the new year - - it is holiday-time.

 Poinsettia - Peppermint Stick

design detail

Looking out to Formal Garden

Lake Michigan in the background

Instead of looking “out and about” in the Gardens at Waters East,  it was decided to look at the flowers blooming in the house during this week of the year.  Some are “house plants” others, to help them survive, have been brought in for the winter season.  Each now celebrates with blooms this festive time of the year.

 succulent in bloom

 Hibiscus

 a summer annual brought in for the winter

no idea what it is called

 Bougainvillea

Papyrus

 more close-up detail

 Rosemary

 Geranium

 Peace Plant

 another happy blooming succulent

interesting color design

 Spider Plant

 Vinca - Illumination

A favorite of the holidays is the poinsettia.  There are a number of blooms in this posting that demonstrate well that today’s poinsettia is not your grandma’s poinsettia.  This is only one of the many many varieties found in green houses today.   It has some awesome markings which you can see in close-ups of the plant.

 more detail

 and - more detail

The kind of plant and view that says

Merry Christ & Happy Holidays.

NOTE:   Since this Blog is meant to be an accurate journal of the gardens;

no photos are “staged”, “arranged”, or ”photo-shopped” in anyway.

What is posted – is what it here.  It is what it is.

 view in Asian Patio fountain

Simple Elegance

driftwood from StoneWater Beach

collected from the shore of Gardens at Waters East

If you wish to email a message or share photos of your garden

please do that through this Blog site or with an email to:

www.gardensatwaterseast@yahoo.com

IN YOUR FACE #7

In Your Face!!!

Me, me, me.  Look at me.  No, look at me.  Better yet, skip all those and look at me!  Walking through the Gardens at Waters East, one almost hears this constant refrain.  Every plant wants attention.  Every bloom is screaming – “I’m so beautiful just look at me!”  In many cases they are right.  Take a look at some of the beauties basking in the sun and calling to be the center of your attention. Checkout the detail of some of the garden residents.

All of these “portraits” were take here in the gardens.  Self centered though they may be, the flowers do make you stop and stare.  They seem to be doing “their thing” just for you.  So why not indulge them for a few moments while walking the paths.

Here then are eight photos for this posting

pause a moment - - - really slow down and pause a moment

see the detail

even if you only pick one or two of the photos - pause a moment

Enjoy

 Tiger Lily

 Bumblebee on Coneflower

 Milkweed Flowers

 Milkweed seed head

 Purple Coneflower with dew

 White Coneflower

 German Bearded Iris

 Flemish Poppy

 Hyacinth

Poppy 

NOTE:   Since this Blog is meant to be an accurate journal of the gardens;

no photos are “staged”, “arranged”, or ”photo-shopped” in anyway.

What is posted – is what it here.  It is what it is.

If you wish to email a message or share photos of your garden

please do that through this Blog site or with an email to:

www.gardensatwaterseast@Yahoo.com

THE TREE #10 - THE END

THE END ---- This is the tenth posting – and the last one in the series “THE TREE” which follows the life of a special Honey Locust tree in the Gardens at Waters East.

 Recent November Photo

Sunrise over Lake Michigan

Gardens at Waters East

You may find that checking any of the past postings done in this series will be a good way to see how this tree and the seasons surrounding it have progressed through 2014.

Panorama Photo- - THE TREE

photo taken in July

Looking into the archives, start with the first posting  - Beginnings – posted on March 7, 2014.  After that, you might like to revisit all the postings as found in the archives.  Something to see at each “stage” as the season moves along.

2^nd posting April 7

3^rd posting May 7

4^th posting June 7

5^th posting July 7

6^th posting August 7

7^th posting September 7

8^th posting October 8

9^th posting November 8

This last posting, looks at THE TREE with a focus on early Winter as it begins here is the Gardens at Waters East.  THE TREE, and all of us, are now moving into the final months of the year.  Gone are all the lush greens, the vibrant colors, even most of the birds have headed South for now and hopefully will return again next Spring.

THE TREE

photo from mid-November

As you can see, now the stillness and quiet of this cold season has taken hold.  THE TREE will remain much as you see it for the next few months waiting for the sun’s warmth to return. 

THE TREE

one last look at summer past

in full summer glory

THE TREE

Waiting in silence in the cold

Waiting for Spring to come again

If you wish to look at other blogs from around the world which are doing similar monthly tree postings.  click on:   http://looseandleafy.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-is-tree-following-and-list-of-tree.html

NOTE:   Since this Blog is meant to be an accurate journal of the gardens;

no photos are “staged”, “arranged”, or ”photo-shopped” in anyway.

What is posted – is what it here.  It is what it is.

gardensatwaterseast.blogspot.com

The Gay Gardener - a poem by OTL - with photos!

The Gay Gardener

Winter Sunrise - Gardens at Waters East

Just the mention of “gay”

Brings up so many different definitions.

From:

          “happy”,

          to celebrating,

          to an orientation being embraced,

So many uses of that word

So many feelings invoked.

There are many,

          though some will not admit it publicly,

That find beauty in the naked form.

When viewed in colored photos

          some even are heard say out loud – “FABULOUS”.

But even if in Black and White – the lines of those forms are

          eye-catching indeed.

Admit it,

          you like seeing such – be honest.

That is that something we all like to see.

Naked

Clothed only in one’s beauty.

Nice!

It is ture – I cannot lie

I often have been found day in and day out

          spending time with some male beauties.

On hot Summer days and moon lit nights

          I get hot

          I even get sweaty

          on my knees

          what delight.

Something special

Frolic

Gaiety

          in bright sunny skies

               exposed for all to see

               with these guys

               one at a time

               or in groups

               I really don’t mind.

Work - sure

Pleasure - - - for sure!

Here are some of the male friends

          that bring my “gaiety” to life.

No doubt,

You too

          have had like friends I’m sure – for sure.

Admit it.

Don’t be shy.

Be proud when you’re “out”

          in the garden like me

          with friends like these.

Sweet William – how colorful indeed.

Bachelor Button – what a life.

Basil – love to eat that one

          Don’t you?

Cosmos – seems so sophisticated even the name.

Peacock Orchid – what more do I say?

Jacob’s Ladder – not bad in the shade.

Joe Pye Weed – butterflies love him,

          they can’t be all wrong

          they love to indulge.

And last but not least:

Cockscomb – - - FABULOUS.

They all live in my garden,

Maybe yours too.

Now face it.

Be honest.

You like these guys

          As much as I.

Does that make you “Happy and Gay”?

Poem by OTL

 Sweet William

 Bachelor Button

 Basil

 Cosmos

 Peacock Orchid

 Jacob's Ladder

 Joe Pye

The Fabulous - Cockscomb

If you wish to view some – NOT SO PRIVATE PHOTOS – of the naked men living with me:  checkout anyone of a number of past postings on this Blog.  Especially revealing are those in the archives titled:  BLOG SHOTS

You are always welcomed to email a message or share photos of your garden

please do that through this Blog site or with an email to:

www.gardensatwaterseast@Yahoo.com

BLOG SHOTS #63

Each month Gardens at Waters East (GAWE) will post a few never before seen photos of “garden life” called - - BLOG SHOTS.  Here are the photos for this posting.

moments in the garden - - enjoy

 Waters East

Lake Michigan in the background

 Crocus in Spring

 Mallard Duck - male

in the Formal Garden

 Native Sunflower - Maximillian

 Canada Geese - in flight

from the shore at Gardens at Waters East

 Lichen on stones

 Star Magnolia

 Sunset in June

Reference Note:  For a complete list of the ten (10) Principles of Design plus the special “Golden Principle of Design” used throughout Gardens at Waters East, check out the archive postings for November 14 – 24, 2010 and May 2, 2011.

NOTE:   All photos use in this posting were taken on the property of Gardens at Waters East

unless otherwise marked.

NOTE:   Since this Blog is meant to be an accurate journal of the gardens;

no photos are “staged”, “arranged”, or ”photo-shopped” in anyway.

What is posted – is what it here.  It is what it is.

If you wish to email a message or share photos of your garden

please do that through this Blog site or with an email to:

www.gardensatwaterseast@Yahoo.com