Monday, July 26, 2010

Maxine's Tranquil Garden.

I've been in Danville, Va., this weekend visiting with Maxine. I've always loved her backyard. It's a magical place. Back in June when I visited, her garden looked like this. My dear friend, Marion, commented on that post, saying,
Hey Rosie, I've always admired the pix of Maxine's garden. Would you get a little more detail on how it's laid out, and what she grows? It's wonderful.
Well, Marion, it's like this: You go out Max's back door and you see this:
Morning in Maxine's backyard garden. About 8 AM.
Maxine did all the pavers herself. Azaleas and American boxwood grow around the perimeter. I'd love to know the waxy-leaved tree on the front left. Wish I'd taken a close-up of it, but I figger I can rely on my friend Zzzadig to enlarge it (Probably not necessary for him.) and come back within minutes, if not seconds, with the botanical identification.
In the foreground is Vinca and a lovely blue hydrangea that was in full bloom when I was here in June.
Azaleas and hostas on the left of the pathway.
In the sitting area, Maxine has a clay pot with columbine from seeds I gave her years ago.
This is looking down the center bed. Liriope around the edges with a white echinacea somewhere in there and the stalks of Casa Blanca lilies and some type of statuary.
Acuba on either side of the gate, birdbath, liriope edge on the perimeter of the center bed. On the right side, branch of crape myrtle.
From the back of the garden looking towards the house.
Middle bed looking towards long left hand side.
Echinacea in the garden behind the gate/fence in the very back.
Back garden with purple coneflower (echinacea) and potted basil.
Crape myrtle. On the long right side.
Fountain. On the long left side.
Looking up through the canopy. Sun rising.
Looking on the long right side, next door. I love the little tree house. Graceful bare bones of the crape myrtle.
I like this. Yellow house. Green shutters. Blue hydrangea. The last set of pictures was taken in the morning light. Let's see what the afternoon holds.
Afternoon in Maxine's garden:
The backyard from Maxine's kitchen door. Note the difference in the light. The lighting, the angle, and the color.
Lovely canopy.
Sitting area with terra cotta pot of columbine.
Cascading, three-tiered fountain, azaleas, liriope, hostas. On long left side of garden.
Looking down the middle. Pathway of pavers on left, turning right, and going out gate. Middle garden of liriope around the perimeter, white coneflower in there, and stalks of spent Casa Blanca lilies. (A lovely, fragrant, white lily.) Acubas against the back fence.
The fountain midst hostas, liriope, and azaleas. On the long left side.
I love this piece of whatever with the lily stalks about it. Looks Asian to me but I don't know what it is.
Acubas on either side of the back gate with bird bath which Maxine went out and filled. It's terribly hot and dry here. 102 degrees in the shade. Mr. Hawthorne called me Saturday afternoon, while I was shooting these afternoon pictures, to tell me the temperature in Bassett was 112.
This is looking out the right hand side. The long side. Love the tree house and the play house or apartment or whatever. Crape myrtle in center. It has smooth, exquisite wood.
I looked up and saw the last blooms of the crape myrtle.
A green sky is, indeed, a lovely thing.
I need to come back to Maxine's at different times throughout the year: in the spring so I can get the azaleas blooming; during the summer to get the hydrangeas, the crape myrtle, the Casa Blanca lilies, and whatever else I missed. I do have pictures of the snow in February. That unexpected snowfall was just the icing on our romantic Valentine Day's dinner several years ago. Haven't been here in the fall. Need to put that on my to-do list.
Acubas, liriope, gate to beyond.
From the back of Maxine's garden. Her welcoming and convivial sitting area.
Pavers leading back to Maxine's home: the home of friendships; the home of happiness; the home of celebrations; the home of good food; the home of sublime hospitality. In other words, my kinda place. Max, you must cut that dead branch. Just sayin'. Thank you in advance.
Is this not beautiful? Is this not tranquil? Is this not calming? Is this not blood-pressure lowering? I needed this. I am rejuvenated. Thank you, Maxine.

3 comments:

Marilyn said...

Thank you for the tour and thank you, Maxine, for allowing Rosie to share your lovely garden with us.

Marion said...

Hey, thanks, Rosie (and Maxine). It's even lovelier than I thought. Makes me want to go in my backyard with a flame thrower and just start over...

zzzadig said...

At the resolution I was able to get, it seems to be a Large Pixel Tree, variety obscurus.