Denise Goldberg's blog

Monday, September 30, 2019

inland waters

As I was driving to the coast yesterday afternoon I saw the Parker River. It was high tide; the river was full.

Parker River at high tide

Sunday, September 29, 2019

asters in pink

Bright asters decorate autumn gardens.

asters

Saturday, September 28, 2019

on the edge

A pop of red shows on the curled edge of a maple leaf.

maple leaf, green to red

Friday, September 27, 2019

standing tall

Some flowers continue to bloom as the nights are wearing an autumn chill. Zinnia in the garden is still standing tall.

zinnia

Thursday, September 26, 2019

mushrooms

Some mushrooms caught my eye today as I walked in the woods at Harold Parker State Forest. These weren't single mushrooms but a couple of large groupings at the base of a tree.

mushrooms

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

chasing butterflies

Wednesday morning is volunteer time at the Stevens-Coolidge Place. As I worked in the gardens this morning I noted some flowers that needed portraits so I returned in the middle of the afternoon. I spent some time chasing butterflies; there were several monarchs happily feeding on the flowers.

butterfly

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

autumn color

While most of the trees are still wearing green, some are starting to show pops of autumn color.

maple leaf wearing autumn color

Monday, September 23, 2019

on the beach

It was a warm and windy day, a day that drew me to the ocean. I walked a bit at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, enjoying the beach at low tide.

on the beach, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Sunday, September 22, 2019

seasonal change

As the last day of summer dawns, signs of the season's change are visible. There are leaves starting to change to their autumn colors, flowers that are well past prime bloom, and other flowers still showing summer color.

This sunflower appears to have served as a good feeding ground.

a sunflower, past prime

Friday, September 20, 2019

salvia in pink

The color and texture of this flower jumped out at me. When I asked its name I was told that it is a variety of salvia.

I didn't know there were so many different flowers wearing this name.

salvia

Thursday, September 19, 2019

delicate

It was a challenge capturing this delicate flower yesterday; the wind insisted on almost constant movement.

delicate flower

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

autumn crocus

As I walked in Chanticleer Garden this morning I was delighted to see autumn crocus popping up across a large field.

It resembles the crocus we see early in the spring but it has a much larger flower. It is an autumn blooming plant, a member of the Colchicaceae plant family.

autumn crocus

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

cats

This is my first visit since two (new) cats joined the household.

I was delighted to meet Nera and Bianca yesterday. The cats moved in with Mom & Suze back in July; they are already sure that it's their house.

Meet the cats!

Nera
Nera

Bianca
Bianca

Sunday, September 15, 2019

sunflower morning

Many of the sunflowers in the garden are well past their prime but this species continues to show happy flowers.

sunflower

Saturday, September 14, 2019

floating

This sculpture, suspended on wires, appears to float above the ground.

I think he's looking at me!

Alien Sunglasses
"Alien Sunglasses", created by Chuck Mead :: Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay

Friday, September 13, 2019

bee on aster

Bees were active in the garden this afternoon. There were quite a few flitting about, enjoying the newly opened asters. One stayed still long enough to pose for me.

a bee feeding on an aster

Thursday, September 12, 2019

felted

I'm sure I missed some of the sculptures in the Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay exhibit as I wandered there this week.

I was happy to find this set of felted creatures in a back corner of one of the gardens. This wonderful collection is the work of Susan Gately.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, felted by Susan Gately

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

new flowers

There are still many flowers in bloom in the garden but I have to admit that I was surprised to see new varieties opening this late in the season.

Asters are opening, creating a new splash of color.

asters

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

outdoor sculpture

The 2019 "Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay" show opened on Sunday. Once the sculptures were in place I headed to the park to see this year's creations.

Here is a bit of information on the show:

"This year's show is our twentieth show at Maudslay: the first was 1998, and we have taken two sabbatical years since, so this is our twentieth. The show has always been organized and run by the artists on a volunteer basis.

The show has never been juried - it's open to artists young and old from the Merrimack River area who are interested in creating site-specific sculpture outdoors. Artists range from experienced well-known sculptors, to children, to anyone inspired with an idea to build something. Many wonderful, beautiful, challenging sculptures have been created for the show, and we believe that the high quality of the work comes partly from the exploratory freedom the show offers."


Information on the 20th Sculpture at Maudslay show for Journalists & PR

written by Bert Snow

I suspect that I didn't find all of the sculptures. Some were spread across swaths of lawn; some were a bit more hidden.

It's hard to pick a favorite. For today I'll share some photos of "Recycled Fantasy Garden", created by Myra Suraci & Mia Thurlow. The main sculpture appears to be a dragon or serpent made out of recycled (large) water bottles and sporting a painted cardboard head. Its tongue is made of slices of cans, falling down into a birdbath full of discarded and colorful plastic.

Recycled Fantasy Garden

Nearby I found a rabbit and a dog also created from recycled plastics.

Recycled Fantasy Garden

Recycled Fantasy Garden

If you're interested in seeing more of this year's creations, jump to the gallery outdoor sculpture at Maudslay :: 2019.

Monday, September 09, 2019

across the Merrimack

Standing at an open spot in Maudslay State Park, I looked across the Merrimack River.

looking across the Merrimack River

Sunday, September 08, 2019

searching for names

Sometimes I feel like the name of a flower is hovering just out of my grasp. This one was making me a little crazy - I thought I should know the name but it just wasn't coming to me.

A web search for flame shaped flowers sent me to Celosia. Looking a bit further I found that the name of this beauty is Celosia spicata. It is part of the Amaranth family.

Celosia spicata

Saturday, September 07, 2019

happy bees

A visit to the gardens of Prescott Park yesterday surrounded me with bright flowers. The bees were busy, happily feeding on dahlias.

bee feeding on a dahlia

Friday, September 06, 2019

by the sea

I felt a need for a walk by the ocean this morning.

The tide was heading out when I set foot on Jenness State Beach leaving firm sand for walking. I shared the space with a few other people, with sea gulls and sanderlings too. As I walked I heard the calming sound of the ocean.

Jenness State Beach, Rye, NH

Wednesday, September 04, 2019

pink

As I walked into one of the 19th century gardens at Maudslay State Park yesterday I saw a bed of dahlias in bloom. It was a sea of pink!

dahlias

Tuesday, September 03, 2019

deep color

A flower wears the color of the setting sun.

Cherokee Sunset (Rudbeckia hirta)
Cherokee Sunset (Rudbeckia hirta)

Monday, September 02, 2019

early apples

It's apple season!

Yesterday's farm stand stop made me very happy. In addition to the tomatoes, pickling cukes, and squash that I stopped for, there were bins of local apples. Today I had my first taste of this year's Zestar! crop, yummy!

The Zestar! is an apple that was developed by the University of Minnesota. It is described as "an early season apple with a crisp, juicy texture, and an exciting zesty flavor with a hint of brown sugar!".

Zestar! apple

dahlia delight

While some flowers are fading, dahlias remain in prime condition.

dahlias

Sunday, September 01, 2019

posing

A rabbit was sitting, eating, enjoying quiet.

It appears that I didn't scare him when I wandered outside with my camera. He decided to pose for me.

rabbit