Ann Christine invites us to explore the wonder of gardens this week. After taking two weeks off from my blog, I’m ready to jump right in with photos from two botanical gardens, and a brief tour of my own home flora. I’ll start with photos taken at Balboa Park and Botanical Garden in San Diego. There is a clean, stark beauty to the plants that thrive in a desert environment. This garden features lovely architecture, big boulders and original large sculptures as well.
Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, offers a lush variety of garden landscape styles including formal English gardens, Japanese and Chinese designs, and a Geodesic Dome Conservatory. I was fortunate to visit when the gardens featured a Chihuly glass installation – what a delight!
Over the 40 plus years of living in my Vancouver, WA home, I have nurtured perennial gardens with a goal of having something blooming or colorful from early spring through early winter. August is a time of abundant blossoms, and also when my annual vegetables and herbs are coming on strong.
Lindy Low LeCoq 
What a fantastic post, Lindy! I liked the photos, your stunning framing of the scenes, the macro, and, especially your garden set. Excellent post!
Thank you, Egídio. I’m always a bit uneasy featuring my own landscape and gardens, yet they seem to be what my followers enjoy the most!
I loved your garden the most, Lindy. My own is not as abundant in August, I’ve been thinking I need to do something about that. Beautiful gardens, I can see how much you enjoy them.
Thank you Sophia, for your kind comments about my gardens. I do love the sense of sanctuary I have here with water features, tall trees and lots of birds nesting and taking shelter nearby. Tomatoes are starting to turn white and soon will have a blush on them. I can hardly wait!
Lindy, all three gardens are beautiful but I think yours is my favorite. It looks so peaceful and inviting I could sit there all day.
Thank you, Beth. Right now I am lounging on the loveseat, listening to my pond waterfall while Daisy patrols the perimeter of the pond and yard, and Max is curled up by my side. This is my favorite place to relax after spending time and energy grooming this place I call my sanctuary!
It’s a beautiful sanctuary!
Absolutely gorgeous, Lindy! I can see you had a wonderful time there, and was lucky with the Chihuly too. So different and beautifully photographed. The light and colours are perfectly complimenting each other. Your garden is the loveliest – and you also have some rare flowers, Max and Daisy, enhancing your life.
Thank you, Leya. I’m lounging on the loveseat right now with Max curled up beside me. Daisy is prowling around the pond and yard, making sure no unwelcome critters invade our little island of serenity!
Sounds relaxing!
So much beauty! I love Chihuly wherever his work is placed. (Except once in a private garden: they had a Chihuly that was formed like his work but totally without color. Isn’t that weird?) The hydrangeas are gorgeous, Max and Daisy are adorable, and the last shot–is that bleeding heart, or fuchsia? None of which grows here, so it makes me very nostalgic for having lived up north.
Yes, that is weird! Thank you Jill for your observations. Max is curled up beside me right now on the loveseat by the pond, while Daisy patrols the grounds, making sure no unwelcome critters intrude upon our sanctuary! The last shot is an annual fuscia (dark eyes) that gets lots of visits from the hummingbirds. Some day I hope to have my good camera in hand when one of them pokes their beak up into the blossom!
lovely greens and all those warm colors – reds, oranges, etc
Thank you, Yvette. I just read the “about” page on your blog and laughed out loud at the Ernest Hemingway quote; “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” !!! I appreciate you dropping by and commenting on my photos.
😃
well thanks for checking out my about page – I actually need to update it – but I am so glad that quote led to a good laugh for you – and glad to connect this week with your wonderful garden shots
I love Balboa Park! And there’s Max, ya DAWG!!!
Max is a way cool dog! 🐾🐾
Not gonna lie Lindy, loved your garden images of course, but Daisy and Max were the highlight for me 😊. We saw the Chihuly exhibit while visiting Seattle. The largest part of it was in a building totally made of glass, surrounded by gardens with additional pieces. Magnificent.
Thank you, Tina. They are the stars of the show wherever we go!