I seem to have the dubious talent of picking the very hottest, squelchiest, thirstiest days of the year to visit local gardens, and Tuesday was no exception. Greenwood Gardens, located in Short Hills, NJ, is open only on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, and you have to buy your tickets in advance. So, with my Tuesday ticket in-hand, off I went to Greenwood, the thermometer edging up into the 90's...before 10 a.m. Sticky weather aside, I'm glad I made the trip.
I was met by the very kind and courteous Joan Borneman from Visitor Services--one of those enviable people who clearly loves the place in which she works. She gave me an overview of the estate and its history, and later, rescued me with a much-needed glass of iced tea!
I was the only visitor walking the grounds on this particular Tuesday (no doubt, all of the other garden-lovers were wisely ensconced in their air-conditioned homes, shades drawn, eating gallons of ice cream). Now and then, I saw a gardener or two working on the site, and a chubby groundhog scurried across my path, but for the most part, I was on my own--which is exactly how I like it when I've got about 300 pictures to take!
The Greenwood Gardens website gives a general listing of what's in bloom each month, but I'm still hard-pressed to figure out the identity of some of my flower "portraits"--even after googling the names from the list. If you know your way around a garden and recognize one of the lovely but mysterious blooms below, I hope you'll chime in with an I.D. in the comments section below. Many thanks for taking a peek at my garden walk!
I believe these are called "Clusiana tulips", above.
Is the flower above Salvia? Foxglove past its prime? Something else entirely?
I have no idea what these deep crimson buds with alien tentacles are called, but they were probably my favorite flowers at Greenwood. They were the color of ripe pomegranates. So vivid and pretty!
What are these cheery flowers above? Some type of Coneflower? Yellow Echinacea?
Perhaps this is an Ornamental Onion, past its prime?
Is this a pink Hydrangea, not yet in bloom?
Could this purple flower be Salvia again?
Finally, a flower I was able to positively identify! No, it's not a "Big Bird Flower", it's St. John's Wort. I love its "beak" and fluffy head. So did the bees!
There you have it--my photographic tour of Greenwood Gardens. I can't wait to visit again...in the fall!
Your turn: Please take your best guesses at the names of the flowers within this post. I'm all ears! If you're not a Green Thumb but know somebody who is, would you kindly share this post?
**********************************************************************************************************************
FINAL DAYS to sign up...
My photography e-course, "How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You" starts this coming Monday, July 14, 2014. Join us--it'll be fun!
- All digital cameras welcome (any type, including smart phones).
- Even if you have a full-time job, you'll be able to take this course at your own pace.
- Click here for all the details!
********************************************************************************************************************
© 2014 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. All photos and text digitally fingerprinted and watermarked. Please do not use any of my photographs without asking me first for permission at [email protected] and then clearly linking back to this site with photo credits. Site licensed by Creative Commons.
Comments