another dahlia

I'm amazed at how many different forms dahlias take.

Some have spiky petals, some have rounded petals, so many different dahlias!

partially open

I'm so happy that I checked the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge website yesterday. It told me that the piping plovers have allowed humans to return to a small section of the beach. While the nesting birds still remain on most of the beach I was happy that a small section has reopened.

Walking next to the ocean, watching birds and people, listening to the waves... I had a very good walk.

Fuller Gardens

I headed to the New Hampshire coast on Wednesday to visit the dahlias at Fuller Gardens. While the garden is mainly a home for roses, a dahlia display garden spans the side of a greenhouse. It contains many colors and varieties of dahlias.

It was a good visit, a chance to enjoy both dahlias and roses.

Click here to jump to the gallery Fuller Gardens :: 2025.

dahlia in pink

A dahlia reaches for the sky, a splash of pink in the garden.

a dragonfly

As I wandered in Maudslay State Park yesterday afternoon I stopped in the garden to check flowers in bloom. Most are past peak but they were enough to attract dragonflies.

This is a Halloween pennant dragonfly.

photos! Bedrock Gardens

Even though summer heat shimmered, Wednesday was a good day to visit Bedrock Gardens in Lee, NH.

Photos are in the gallery Bedrock Gardens :: 2025.

Click here to jump to the photos.

fabric, painted

A painted strip of fabric hangs from a line.

Colors include blue, teal, green, and purple interspersed with white. They are wonderful!

garden dance

False sunflowers dance in the gardens of Prescott Park in Portsmouth, NH.

bridges

I walked across Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth, NH this morning. As I reached the halfway point I looked north to see the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge and the I-95 bridge carrying traffic across the Piscataqua River.

a walk by the ocean

The ocean called to me today; I needed a walk by the water.

I headed to the New Hampshire coast early this morning, stopping and parking at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, NH. I walked just south of the park, then did a loop in the park.

It was a good brain reset!

photos! flitter, flutter, butterfly

Photos from yesterday's visit to the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory are in the gallery flitter, flutter, butterfly! 2025.

Click here to jump to the photos.

butterfly, posed

I needed a change of scenery today so I headed west across the state to visit the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory.

Standing, watching, feeling butterflies land on me and fly past me... it was pure magic!

summer flowers

Seeing coneflowers in bright pink signals summer to me.

blazing star & butterflies

As I walked through a garden at Maudslay State Park this afternoon a patch of flowers caught my eye. The bright purple color of the blazing star flower attracted both butterflies & bees.

solo

A single flower pops out from behind a fence, decorating the sidewalk with a bit of color.

fringed

A fringed poppy, fully open and starting to decay...

what's in a name?

I always thought flowers wearing the name black eyed susan had a black center. Funny, this flower with a light colored center identifies as the Prairie Sun version of the black eyed susan.

It's a beautiful flower.

rippled reflection

From a walk in Harold Parker State Forest this afternoon, a rippled reflection...

poppy, open

While there are still poppies in bloom, most are close to end of life.

This one, wearing pink, has started dropping petals.

late bloom

The last of the iris are in bloom.

Japanese iris (or iris ensata) have a flatter shape than the iris I see earlier in the season. I think they are all beautiful.

a rose by the beach

Wild roses were in bloom at Odiorne Point State Park.

The plants thrive not too far from the ocean.

green

Grasses in Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, NH paint the coastline green.

early

The heat continues...

I woke up early today; at 5:23AM it was just 15 minutes past sunrise. I decided a walk in a garden decorated by early morning light was a good thing to do in the morning heat.

For the rest of the day I plan to stay inside, enjoying air conditioned air.

across a quarry

It's interesting to compare the rocky coastline of Halibut Point State Park with the calm waters of Babson Farm Quarry in the center of the park. The water is well below the edge leaving the space on and near the water as a protected zone for birds.

a flower walk

Today was my first visit of the season to the gardens in Portsmouth, NH. While the gardens were popping with color there are many varieties of flowers that seem to be waiting for warmer weather.

Yes, I know, there is a heat wave coming!

It was a good wander!

photos! Halibut Point State Park

A visit to Halibut Point State Park has been on my mind for a while. I let the sky help me decide on the day, choosing Tuesday because of the cloudy sky. I hoped that the rain would hold off until I was finished with my wander - and it did!

It's a park that I think I should visit more often but it's in a location that is a bit of a drive. It's only 25 miles as the crow flies, 34 miles as I need to drive, taking me close to an hour to get there. Tuesday's visit was definitely worth it!

Click here to see more photos in the gallery Halibut Point :: 2025.

white

While some peonies are fading, others are in full bloom.

This beauty in white posed for me in a garden at Maudslay State Park.

iris pops between rocks

I visited the rocky coastline of Halibut Point State Park today.

I was delighted to see a pop of purple created by iris popping up between the rocks.

mountain laurel

This afternoon's visit to Maudslay State Park was timed perfectly to see mountain laurel in bloom.

I guess I've missed the full bloom in years past; these flowers are amazing.

a dahlia

While I'm always surprised to see dahlias in bloom early in the growing season, I was delighted to see a few of these beautiful flowers in a garden this evening.

peonies

The blooming season for tree peonies is past; now regular peonies decorate the garden.

bearded iris

Yesterday I visited flowers in between late afternoon and evening rainstorms. I headed to the Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens to see if bearded iris was in bloom.

I've always been fascinated by these intricate flowers.

instruction

In case you're not sure how to open this door, the sign clearly says to push.

almost a painting

A yellow iris stands in a field of green.

It's a photograph that I can also imagine as a painting.

seed pods

Tree peonies move from pristine flower to seed pod pretty quickly. I visited Long Hill Sunday afternoon to see the flowers and returned today to see them in the next stage of life.

photos! 3 gardens

Last week was rainy in southeastern Pennsylvania. Somehow visits to three beautiful gardens fit in between the raindrops. The gardens? Jenkins Arboretum in Devon, Chanticleer Garden in Wayne, and Scott Arboretum on the grounds of Swarthmore College in Swarthmore.

Photos can be seen in the gallery 3 gardens :: 2025.

tree peonies

I headed to Long Hill early this afternoon to see if the tree peonies are in bloom. They are!

Each individual flower doesn't last very long so I'm always happy to catch them in peak bloom. Since I also find the flowers interesting after they have faded I plan to visit again later in the week.

before the rain

Sometimes it makes sense to pay attention to the weather forecast. With a prediction for thunderstorms starting at 11 AM we headed to Valley Forge National Historical Park to walk early enough to almost avoid the rain.

Pre-storm clouds created an interesting sky.

2 days, 2 gardens

We walked in between raindrops, wandered in two gardens. Yesterday we visited Chanticleer Gardens and today was a first visit to the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College.

Both gardens were delightful, providing homes for early spring flowers.

flamingo

I'm always attracted to birds wearing bright feathers.

This flamingo posed for me at the Philadelphia Zoo this morning.

azalea

Azaleas are starting to decorate the landscape with color.

I love the shades of pink in the transition of this bush from bud to flower.

dropped petals

Magnolia trees in the area are in a state of transition. Some full flowers remain while others have dropped most of their petals.

The tree continues to hold on to beauty.

tulip transition

I visited the garden of the Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens yesterday evening as light rain fell.

I saw tulips in a state of transition. Some are still in full flower, others are fading.

wet

I headed to Maudslay State Park this afternoon hoping to walk before it rained. When I arrived I heard the rumble of thunder; I saw a jagged lightening bolt in the distance. I chose to walk, attempting to ignore the incoming rain. And yes, I did get quite wet!

It was early for azalea. I saw two bushes wearing buds and a single bush in bloom. Maybe next week...

Dogwood and other flowering trees were blooming and there were several varieties of daffodils still in prime condition.

spring green

Small leaves are emerging on broadleafed trees, showing a light green color.

standing tall

A tulip wearing shades of orange stands tall in early evening light.