Garden Trips: Hillwood (Part Three)

You remember we were heading this way....(it's such a beautiful walk..)


Here's a great spot to have a look at the putting green...where (according to the brochure) Mrs. Post and family rested while practicing their golf...


A better look...


Moving along....


We don't want to miss some of the beauties at our feet, like Lily of the Valley (maybe some woody hyacinths in there, too)....


Nice spot to rest and take in the beauty....


Now, we'll head into the Friendship Walk....



Let's look around here...





We're pretty close to the mansion here, off to one side...


This is so pretty, we'll spend some time here looking around...imagining the rich and famous strolling along...



These lanterns were hanging all along, a better picture after this one...



Can you stand this....so nice...




Look at the size of these...


I love the attention to detail...


And all the wonderful hardscaping...


Some of the roses in the Rose Garden...




Imagine looking out this window....


As you can see, it's pretty damp...look at what look like lights...so this beautiful area could be enjoyed in the evenings....would make for quite the romantic walk...


We would walk back through the other gardens this way....


But, we've seen them now (so enjoyable) and are a bit tired, hungry and wet...so, we'll head out this way...


We're close to the exit/parking lot here....



Getting into our car....


It really is, isn't it....


The one above was probably more appropriate to our visit this day. This was fun, wasn't it? Our stomachs inform us that it is time to eat and so we head out to a favorite restaurant, Bonefish Grill. It was a perfect meal and a wonderful end to a very fun afternoon (Mother's Day 2008). Oh yes...the fillet, crabcake and strawberry shortcake were...mmmmm.....incredibly yum.

******

For more information on Hillwood, click here.

2008 AHS National Convention...Garden Six

Here we are...at long last...resuming our 2008 AHS National Convention...if you missed any of the previous five gardens, you can find them via the labels on the right or I will include a link at the end of this garden.

Starting off bright and early after a delicious breakfast once again, we boarded our buses. A pleasant surprise was announced on our bus as our bus caption told us that those who had been last getting off the bus at every garden the previous day (those in the back of the bus) would have "first" privileges today. Yippee! Can you guess who was sitting in the back?? That's right, ME and my two friends, a very lovely couple from Maryland who made the tours very fun to explore with...as well as everything else.

So, here were are at the garden of Paul & Mildred Eskine. This garden was the dream of Paul's father, Ernie (husband of Mildred)....Paul and his mother, Mildred, have continued and expanded the dream. Since, we're first (haha), let's get going:

MADAME PELE:


PROGRESSIVE PATTERN:


INFINITY AND BEYOND:


Isn't this wonderfully tropical feeling?



ARRAYED IN SPLENDOR:


One of my very favorite doubles, DOROTHY AND TOTO:


SQUARE DANCER'S CURTSY:


The biggest lemons I have ever seen:


Closer, PONDEROSA LEMONS:


DEUTSCH DANCER:


PACKED TO PLEASE:


MISSOURI MEMORIES:


Double Rose of Sharon:


SOMETHING SUPERB:


LAVENDER DUSK:


SERGEANT MAJOR:


Quite the veggie garden:



WISEST OF WIZARDS:


SYCAMORE ORANGE CRUSH:


KEVIN WALEK (the daylily):


Lots to see:


Closer:


BLUE OASIS:


COLLECTORS CHOICE:


LITTLE MUSIC MAKER:


Beautiful roses:



CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION:


WITCHES WINK:


IRRESISTIBLE CHARM:


Pretty settings:


VOICES IN THE DARK (two pictures):



COUNTRYSIDE CHARM:



I really liked this one, apparently, but my label shot was unreadable:






Clematis:


THIN MAN:


Let's have a look around, shall we?





Plumbago:


Brugmansia:


Sunflower:


These adorable boot birdhouses were on each of the tables at the banquet Sat. night. One lucky person from each table got to take one home:


The only kind we like to see of these:


Need a bit of a rest after running around this garden?


Careful, though...did you see who also is there?


Haha.

Well, this was fun, but we have to move on...coming up, Garden Seven! (Thanks to the Eskines for a lovely garden!)

******

If you missed any of the previous gardens you can find them here: Garden Five, Garden Four, Garden Three, Garden Two, and Garden One.