Spring at Maudslay State Park is full of color. When I visited two weeks ago some of the azaleas were in bloom; the rhododendron were wearing buds but no color.
Today the rhodies decorated a chunk of my walk in bright swaths of color. There were times when I just stood in place, looked, spun in circles, looked some more.
Most of the bearded iris in my local garden are not quite ready to show their intricate flowers. I'm still waiting...
In the meantime a patch of yellow flag iris in a small wetland patch satisfied my iris needs.
I'm fascinated by the patterns in pools of water on granite. Halibut Point State Park is a favorite spot of mine; I love to walk there, to sit and relax, to enjoy the rocks and water.
Tiny and blue against a background of pink and green, these flowers stand very close to the ground. Bluebells...
It feels like the transition from bare branches into full color has taken longer than usual this year. We're two months into spring; now the trees and plants are (finally) wearing bright green.
It was a gray morning, one that I knew could easily be brightened with a bit of color. I've started seeing iris in bloom; hoping that the buds I saw earlier this week had opened I headed to The Stevens-Coolidge Place this morning.
Tulips in varying stages of life are still in place, some past prime, some in full bloom, all beautiful.
The iris? They are just starting to bloom. I found one clump of iris in a salmon color with scattered clumps of buds throughout the perennial garden. This garden will need multiple visits over the next few weeks... I wonder what colors will emerge next.
When I left home this morning I knew I was heading to Long Hill to play in the gardens. I also knew that was the half-way point between home and Halibut Point in Rockport so I had a second wander tucked in the back of my mind. It didn't take much to convince myself that I should continue to the east for a first visit to Halibut Point State Park this year.
For a day during which rain was predicted I managed some good outside time! I got caught in the wet stuff during both my early morning and evening walks but my wandering time was dry. There was even a sky wearing clouds, perfect. I'm so glad I finally discovered Halibut Point a few years back; it's a wonderful spot to walk, to sit and absorb the beauty.
This morning I felt like a new wandering destination was in order. I headed to the Trustees of Reservations site to see what I could find. The local garden I visit often is one of their properties and I was sure they own at least one more garden in the area.
Long Hill jumped out at me. It's an estate with gardens surrounding a Federal-style house.
The web page indicates that the gardens are most spectacular in May and June so it appears that my visit today was at a good time. I spend the entire time in the gardens, ignoring the tempting trails that headed off through the woods. I've added this place to my list of "must visit often" spots; it was a good find.
As the couple formulated plans for the elegant Federal-style home that would become their summer retreat, Mabel Sedgwick also set about designing gardens and landscape amenities that are renowned a century later.
...The gardens are laid out in a series of separate garden “rooms” surrounding the handsome, Federal-style, brick house. Each “room” is distinct in its own way, accented by ornaments and statuary.from the Long Hill web site
