2017 Garden Bloggers Fling - Day 3

The trips on the third and final day were spent in the Virginia countryside for the most part. Private gardens as well as a final stop at a public garden were on the schedule. These are some highlights of the first half of the day.

Tammy's Garden, Bristow
Our hostess Tammy's garden was the one of the first stops for the day. Located on the outskirts where suburbia meets country, the garden was my kind of place. Loads of natural arrangement looked like my yarden, but there were no vegetables mixed in with the flowers.



Looks like this place is a gnome home.

The owner is especially fond of gardening for nature. Lots of birdhouses and natives.



My master gardener group meets at Merrifield Garden Center in Fairfax. Our fling tour took us to Merrifield's sister facility further out (and much larger) in Gainesville. Look what the people at Merrifield left out for us. Of course, everyone bought something -- I picked up a Mojito Colocasia.

Linda's Garden, The Plains
The front and large backyard gardens featured water and pathways meandering around the grounds of an old historic home.



A very interesting begonia color

A tiny coleus with absolutely no green

I would love to know what this white daylily is.

A Thai temple bird house



Never found out the name of this hydrangea with just a hint of blue. Stunning.

More Day 2

Well well, another month goes by and I am still getting around to posting the Garden Bloggers Fling photos. These are some photos that struck me as I walked through the private home gardens of Peg and Ellen.

Peg's Garden, Vienna

I loved the way a basement level patio was made part of the yard, one level up without a large retaining wall staring you in the face. This is done gradually and with planters -- all softening the rise to the backyard level.





The edge walkway bleeds into the ferns that act as a border plant. Nice edge to the lawn area.

Lots of large containers even though there were many places to plant in the ground.

Good use of color.

Her butterfly garden in the only really sunny spot.

Ellen's Garden, Great Falls
Is this a stargate? Saw lots of painted dried allium.

Fish swimming in a sea of liriope.

Real fish protected from predators by the net.

In case of zombies.



Incredible hydrangeas at the pool house.

Day 2 Continued

Here it is, one month since my last post. Crickets. I am still talking about the Garden Bloggers Fling. And, I am only on Day 2. Fortunately other bloggers are better at getting photos and thoughts posted in a timely manner.

Summer and life are getting in the way of blogging. So I pick up where I left off a month ago with a few additional photos of Day 2.

Brookside Garden, Wheaton


A very large crape myrtle for our region. Almost a shade tree.

The All-American display garden. A handful of gardens throughout the country display the annual All-American selections. Brookside is one of them.

"Please be gentle with me and do not move me. I have a broken knee. Thank you, Mr. Frog"

A row of Petasites japonicus along the path at the lake. These would make a good addition to the manscape.

Private Garden of Scott, Arlington
I like the ability to insert a formal feel in the back although there is not much space. It had the feeling of not being too formal -- too "stuffy".

I like this way a big blank wall of the house is treated.

Into every garden a little whimsy must be added.

Private Garden of Jeff, Arlington
The back terrace where the edge of the yard drops off into a steep hillside. Are all those tropicals brought indoors for winter?

Outdoor shower.

Danger! Danger!

Another water feature. Every garden has one.

2017 Garden Bloggers Fling - Day 2

The second day took us to some private gardens in Maryland and to a public garden where lunch was served. All but one garden in the entire weekend contained shade and a water feature or two, or three, or more that allowed us to tolerate the summer. Weather was typical hot and humid the first two days but not overly oppressive as it can be.

Private Garden 1, Bethesda
The house at the end of a cul du sac, and featured gardens sculptured with uses of materials in ways unexpected.
Very inviting front porch.

Foundation plantings along the front included very few evergreens, but a lot of perennials.

Unusual use of wood for stepping stones, and twig branches forming large balls as lawn ornament in the background.

Now that's one use for bamboo that you cut down.

Water feature on the terrace. Another notice of most gardens: outdoor entertaining spaces were often broken into several areas, not on the same level, not of the same materials. This lower terrace held seating and the water feature, while the upper deck the dining table.

Among the hydrangeas.

Some weird seed pods held small succulents for the table centerpiece.

Private Garden 2, Bethesda
This was the backyard (I hate to call it 'yard') of a landscape designer. It was without a doubt, the most impressive residential landscaping of a yard steeply sloping down to the house that I have seen. Photos could not capture the entire feeling of a landscaped hillside.
Steps at the back terrace beckons one to begin an ascent to enter the landscape instead of merely observing it on the terrace.

The bottom of the hillside and the stream is a fish pond. THe sound of water is a relaxer.

Shady path between the front and back around the side of the house.


The stream starts at the top of the hillside and tumbles down into the pond filled with fish and water lilies. The gazebo at the top of the hill invites one to climb, and provides a visual point to draw your eyes up.

Inviting shady path to the other side of the house.

And close where we started -- on the front porch.

Day 1 Continued

2017 Garden Bloggers Fling • Washington DC
More public gardens were on the itinerary for the second half of Day 1 in Washington DC. A very warm sticky day exposed us to the normal summer weather Washington is noted for. Stops included the Smithsonian gardens along the National Mall, the U.S. Botanic Garden, and the Franciscan Monastery.

Smithsonian Gardens
I have written about the Smithsonian gardens in spring [posted 10.04.2009], but have never seen them in summer. I don't venture near the Mall in the summer due to the hoards of tourists taking over. I did not document with many photos on this trip.

One of the themed garden of the Smithsonian - the butterfly garden walk.

Big one

U.S. Botanic Garden
I have not been to the U.S. Botanic Garden in about a decade. A large greenhouse with several rooms of differing climates and locations were complimented by an outdoor garden and walk. I don't remember it as big as it is.
The Botanic Garden has this garden among the office buildings and near the capitol. A native planted stream and garden that looks like it was plucked out of the countryside.

A rest under the arbor, out of the sun. Love details like the vine as part of the step railings (or are they snakes?)

Love little delights that are surprises like the logo of the Botanic Garden on the gate doors.

Interior of one of the greenhouses.

Tropicals were very large.

Indoor papayas.

A daylily I have wanted. This one is called 'Red Ribbons'. I am fond of 'Radiation Biohazard' from another botanical garden.

Franciscan Monastery
A quick end of the day visit to some gardens and grotto. The best parts were the courtyard cloisters - very peaceful and contemplative. The grotto was filled with azaleas, and probably shines best in spring.