Flower Power

 Oooh!  The blooms, blossoms and budding flowers that we saw on Saturday's Whatcom Horticulture Society Garden Tour were overwhelmingly beautiful.

 We named this driveway border, Sunset Strip.  Those lilies were stunning!

 And oh my, did Shelly and I have fun, laughing, talking and getting a good dose of inspiration!

 The gardeners had staked and caged many of their plants, something that I am not good about doing.  I thought that the stakes and cages  would take away from the garden.  Not so, unless you are really looking for them them are lost in healthy, happy plants.  All of the gardens had drip lines, and I need those too.

 These roses need a bride.

 Astilbe as tall as me, lush too.

 Leave the seed pods because they add some groovy interest later on in the season.

 Black foliage mixed in with the flowers creates a stunning show.

 Clematis in abundance.

 Hardy fuchsias were in every garden and next year they will be in my garden too.  Bellingham is a different zone than Lynden so they may not work out as well for me, but I'm going to try.

Phlox that were taller than Shelly and so healthy and happy in a border.

 Squirrel!  We weren't going to Franny's sale this week but we couldn't just drive by and not see if there was anything we needed.  Yes, just a few things!  Back to touring...

Precision pruning, the gardener told us that it took three years.  Gardening teaches patience.

I referred to this shrub as the wedding cake.  Stunning pruning!

 The pictures don't really do justice, the gardens were beautiful, inspiring and took many hours of hard work.

 At my house everything is fading, drooping and dying.  It hasn't been a gardening kind of year for me.  But I do have many ideas for next year.  Thank you for a fun day, Shelly!  Garden tours, estate sale, frozen yogurt for lunch all make for a fantastic day with a good friend.

Tiptoe Through the Garden

On Saturday Shelly invited me to the Whatcom Horticultural Society Garden Event.  We toured some beautiful gardens.  Today I'm going to share the hard scape highlights of the gardens.

There were pretty paths leading to structures to create "rooms" in the gardens.

 Ponds, including a trout pond with huge trout that when the gardener fed them it looked like boiling water.

 We saw some pretty ornaments too.

 Many trellises covered with flowers soften the paths and entrances to garden rooms.

 Little ponds were everywhere.

 An unexpected Japanese garden at a home where it was least expected fit right in.  Though I wouldn't have been so bold to try it, it was a beautiful touch and just the right thing to do in the courtyard.

I need to take more chances in the garden.

 Living on the lake makes everything better.

 Rock walls!  I need more of those at my house.

 Under the stairs would've been an ugly spot but was made pretty with unexpected art in the form of shells and floats.

 Yep, I definitely need more rocks.

 Big rocks and little rocks really add to the garden.

 Big rocks, little rocks and the best rock curb, oh  my!  I loved this curb.

 Shelly took one look at the metal garden art declared that she needs a welder.  Great!  Because I need a friend that welds!  Works for me.

 A hell strip used as a vegetable garden is brilliant.  It is always a dead looking, useless space.  This one was great because the neighborhood embraced the idea and it went on and on.

 Take out the lawn, lay a deck and create an oasis.  Now  instead of mowing the lawn the homeowner is lounging.

 Trellis time, again.

 My fairies need more housing.  We saw some sweet fairy homes.

 We saw many fire pits which lend themselves to some fun evenings for the homeowners.

 Gates.  I love gates and actually have a pinterest board just for gates.  I've always wanted a driveway gate but I saw on the tour that a random pretty gate can add so much to a garden.  They're inviting, beckoning you on to see what is beyond the gate.  I used to think gates were to create a boundary, but really, they can be inviting you farther down the garden path.

 The curb, the plantings between the stones, I need to get going and make it happen under the grape arbor at  the Stone House.  So pretty!

Next, I'll share the flowers.

Happy Birthday, Dear Friend

 Our dear friend, Adelene celebrated her 80th birthday this past weekend with a BiG PaRtAy!  Her nieces came from Iowa, South Dakota and Colorado, along with some local family and gave her a vacation getaway that included many surprises including a party with her friends.

The nieces are a lot of fun and they had games, skits, songs, a poem and delicious food for Ad and her guests.

 I got to meet Ad's niece, Gert, a longtime blog reader.  Since she knows all about me it was fun to find out all about her.  

Oh, and there is a token nephew too.

I love this last group shot because Jo is loving on Ad while everyone gets ready for a silly shot.  They do love their Aunt Adelene, as do we.   Happy 80th, Ad, wishing you many, many more!

Oh, and Ad, Max is still pouting that he didn't get invited... haha.  You know how he is.