Rosie's Fun Saturday.

I noticed these two announcements in the local paper Thursday, so guess where Rosie went today.

I love the Elizabethan Gardens, and welcomed another chance to visit. The gardens constantly change throughout the seasons and they are always beautiful. Here are some pictures from early spring (You have to scroll waaaay down.) when Mr. Hawthorne and I were in Manteo for our cooking classes. I'll just shut up for a while so you can enjoy the pictures.

Here are bunches of plants for sale.

Many more around the corner.

Interesting umbrella plant.

I'm in horticultural heaven here. Oh, and Marilyn? I thought of you. Really, I did.

Since I wanted to buy everything I saw, this was very difficult for me.

I was trying to get a picture of a painted lady butterfly while he was feasting on this butterfly bush (buddleia) but he decided to take off and I got him in flight. Notice orange blur at top left. After my purchases, I took a little stroll to shoot some pictures of the grounds.

Next, I was off to the North Carolina Aquarium.

Scroll down here far enough, and you'll see pictures from our cooking classes at the aquarium and some more pictures of the Elizabethan Gardens.

Here's the fish sculpture in front of the aquarium.

Lots of native plants here.

Another view of the fishies.

I bought a bunch more plants, then left for home to get everything in the ground.

Now, here's an interesting video for you, which just shows you why I'm at the top of my game and at the cutting edge of videography.

Now, remember I'm driving 50 mph down 64 in Manteo. Look closely on the video, else you'll miss it. First go past the fence, and past a driveway with a little house on the right, then you drive past an open field and come to a crape myrtle-lined driveway and if you look closely, there's a gated entrance. Guess who lives there. Give up? Andy Griffith.

Here are the assorted plants I got at the Elizabethan Gardens: 3 types of thyme - English, silver, and lemon 2 types of gardenias - Gardenia jasminoides radicans 'Chuck Hayes' and a trailing gardenia 1 Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus cineria) (Hopefully, I'll be able to attract koala bears to my garden.) 1 Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha) 1 Downy Maiden Fern (Thelypteris dentata) 2 Coral Nymph Salvia (Salvia coccineus 'coral nymph')

Here's the Mexican sage with pretty blue flowers.

Here are the spoils from the NC Aquarium: 2 Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) 2 Sundial Lupine (Lupinus perennis) 2 Helmet flower (skullcap) (Scutellaria integrifolia) 2 Eastern beardtongue (Penstemon laevigatus) 1 Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma)

Here's my purple coneflower, or Echinacea purpurea.

My coneflower has a little friend on top.

This is my new Muhly grass. I like the pink.

And this is my new beautyberry.

My marigolds.

And another rose. I got everything planted today, and now all I have to do is sit back, have a glass of wine, and enjoy.