It was a very good class, and I learned a lot. The instructor has traveled the world and seen many gardens in Europe and now owns 7 (soon to be 14) acres of gardens called "The Carp River Gardens" (the river runs through the property). It is amazing. Even though it is early spring, there are already a ton of flowers blooming there. It is the 3rd largest botanical garden in the U.S. and the biggest one in Michigan and Wisconsin. If you ever get up to the U.P. in the summer, make it part of your travel plans. He only charges $5.00 per car load to tour his gardens, and if he is there he will offer you any advice you may ask. They also sell a limited amount of the perrenial plants there too. There have been many weddings held there because of its natural surroundings in the pines.
Today, I am providing some pictures taken both out of my garden and the Carp River Gardens for you:
One of the C.R. Gardens wonderful daffodils:
A shot of my tulips in my gardens:
This is a Marsh Marigold (wildflower) I took yesterday in the woods:
A close-up of one of my garden tulips:
This is a close-up of one of the C.R. Garden's Primroses:
Another one of my garden's tulips. I loved the center of this one, it looked like an Orchid to me:
This is a shot of our lake taken this Thursday. No MORE ICE!!
See the green sprouts on the tree? Finally!!!:
The wind was really strong, crashing on the nearby rocks:
This is one of the C.R. Garden's pretty daffodils in bloom:
Our lake again, see the wind bending the trees? But it is SO NICE not to see any more ice and instead see sparkling water and hear the waves!:
This is our house and the front yard (that does not face the lake). When it is hot, we spend a lot of time on this porch. On the end where I took this picture, we have a porch swing which my butt occupies with glee!:
Another shot of my garden tulips, who are facing the sun (like me!) in the yard:
My white and purple creeping Phlox. Did you know they are very fragrant?:
This are C.R. Gardens' wonderful Tulips and Primula Denticulata (a type of Primrose that looks like little purple drumsticks):
One of my garden's red tulips:
And, last (but not least) is a close-up of a dandelion. Yep, you read right. If you take the time to REALLY look at them (up close and personal) they are very pretty:
Hope you enjoyed the gardens and the tour...I really like spring flowers and blooms for their bright, sunny colors and it is such a wonderful thing to see after the drab, long, cold winter.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, everyone!!!!
31 comments:
Never seen a marsh marigold and now I'm going to have to find out if they grow well in our area because I want some.
Photos are outstanding, as usual!
Lovely pictures, again I thank you and will go shopping for a camera to match yours. These are wonderful, and I'm so glad that spring finally arrived in the UP!
I just love all your flower pictures!
Your house is a log home? Years and years ago, my ex-husband wanted to buy a log home but we never did. Not sure why.
The pictures filled with white and purple creeping Phlox is really excellent.
Gaston: They grow in wet, marshy areas. They are commonly known as "cow slips". They are super easy to grow as long as you have them planted in a wet area.
DJan: You can say that again..I am thrilled that spring finally came. I will learn even more about my camera soon, I am signed up to take a one day class on June 6th. Wish me luck!
Joanie: Thanks! Yes, our house is a log home.We built it almost 5 years ago. Some of my readers have asked me to do a blog post showing pictures of the inside, which I will try and do before too long. We love it. Log homes always seem so warm and cozy due to the warmth of the wood's look inside.
I am SOOOOOOOOO JEALOUS!!
Scrappy Doo: You are so funny. Not sure if you are jealous of the flowers? The pictures? haha
The Photos Are Stunning !!!
I want my butt to occupy a swing on that beautiful porch. I'm with Scrappy Doo - JEALOUS!!!
Beautiful! My favorite is the lake through the trees branches. And I love dandelions! I know they're considered a weed, but they're so pretty.
I am still trying to make you famous. My mom used to get a magazine with pictures like yours but I can't remember the name. In the meantime I found this:
http://www.birdsandblooms.com/photos.aspx
You can submit to this magazine. Have a great holiday weekend!!
These pictures of flowers are so lovely. The garden primroses look like they are made of velvet.
Wonderful pictures of your garden. I'm glad that spring is eventually with you. Your porch looks great! What a lovely world you live in..
Blessings, Star
I really like the primroses. Something about the colors. Your lake is much bigger than I imagined. I just spent the day looking at lakes this size, but no pictures. I have a few closeups of dandelions too, but mine don't have nearly the detail yours has.
Rainfield: Yes, I love the creeping phlox. The purples are really radiant right around sunset and you can smell their perfume all over the yard.
Unseen: Are you new to my blog? I would love it if you would go up and click on "follow this blog" and become a regular. Thanks so much for the compliment on the photos!
JJ: My husband says the same as you about the dandelions...he loves seeing yards full of them. They really are pretty close up, but when they turn to seed they can be a nuisance. I will capture them in their seed globes soon in another photo on my blog...that will be a fun picture to try and get!
Grannyann: I went to their site, and I may try and submit some. I am so complimented that you think I can win some of their contests. I will submit some soon and let you know where...I will have you to thank for the motivation! Thanks so much.
Vagabonde: I think the primrose look velvety too! They have such dark saturated colors. I found a neighborhood garden full of them today and asked the woman if I can come back and take photos and she was flattered and said yes, so stay tuned because soon I will post pics of her wonderful garden too!
Brittany: C'mon up to the U.P. and we can both sit on the swing and chat!
Star: Thanks. I am ECSTATIC that spring has finally come here. I am blessed, I know...to have my wonderful home and location. Blessings back atcha, Sweetie!
Ratty: I do too. I never knew much about the Primroses until I took the perennial class. Now I have to go and get some for my garden! Our lake is huge, over 97 miles of shoreline..did you look on the Michigan Map? I think it is the second largest inland lake in the U.P. (Lake Goegebic is the largest). Ours has several large islands on it, which I will post pics of later in the summer when we get out on our boat. It is a gorgeous lake with a lot of rock outcroppings.
I was surprised to see the beauty of the dandelion when I saw the closeup of it.
Honey, you've never made a dandelion look so good. Wow, hard to believe that weed can look so pretty. Great shot. I so want some of your creeping phlox!
Absolutely beautiful! You have a great eye with the camera. Thanks for the tour. I'll be back again soon!
WOW I love the pictures of your home and the lovely flowers. Your right, wood gives such a warm and comfortable feeling. Looking forward to those pictures inside for sure. How close are you to the lake? Hope you are enjoying your weekend....:-) Hugs
Well, that's disappointing for me, but I guess I can just come back here and visit every now and then...
I want to come to your house RIGHT NOW with my book and sit on your porch. It looks fantastic. I would sit out at the front of my house, but the neighbours look askance at me sitting on the road with a book.
Breathtaking!
Lovely home, and lovely flowers! I especially like the shot of the Primroses.
I'm so glad you changed your blog over to a photo blog and this post is exactly why! Beautiful photo's of the flowers! They really bring your heart and mind such joy after our very long and snowy winter.
Dandelions are taken for granted. I was never so excited to see one as I was this Spring!
Sharon
You are the beautiful flower photo queen!!! Loved all of them!! Glad to see the ice is gone from your lake! Our trees have been getting more and more buds. it was 65 degrees here today and I was kayaking - it's a great day in northern Michigan!!
DVM's Wife: I was amazed myself when I saw my own closeup shot of the dandelion. I like them a lot more now that I really saw their beauty.
Joanna: Thanks! I can't recall you visiting my blog before...are you new? Please click on "follow this blog" above...would love to have you join us often!
Bernie: Yes, we live on the lake, but there is a short path from our deck down to the water. When it is warmer, we often sit on our pontoon boat on the water in the evenings until sunset. Our version of heaven :-D
Gaston: What is disappointing to you? You can come every day and visit here at my blog!! I enjoy your comments!
Fran: C'mon Down! We can have a wine cooler or two and talk about flowers or birds. ha
Dreamwalker: I have found so many flowers breathtaking since I really started looking at them close up. Nature is amazing, isn't it?
Cedar: I just learned about primroses when I took my recent gardening class...I have fallen in love with them!
New England: Yes, I suppose I have changed the blog mostly to photos at this time of year....I try and write now and then for those that enjoyed my humor....but this time of year, I just have to do more photography instead...nature demands it!
Shellmo: Me too! Today and yesterday were lovely days here too....plenty of sun and warmer. LOVE it!
These photos are awesome! The flowers are so beautiful, with all the different colors. The phlox was gorgeous. Do you know how the Carp River got its name?
Polly: Thanks so much! I don't know how the Carp River got its name...to our knowledge, there are no carp fish in it! I will have to ask the local historians!
I can't wait until I've got a place on my own with a decent amount of space so I can make my own garden
Nicole: I felt the same when we rented...I couldn't wait to own property and do landscaping. But, if you are careful, you can plant perrenials and can dig them up and take them with you if you go elsewhere (not too far). You can even pot some of those plants and grow them inside or on a deck.
Wonderful photos, that Primrose was just stunning! Glad you finally got spring/summer, our weather has been just crazy too. Thanks for the flower tour, I really enjoted it! :)
Far Side: Thanks..I love those primroses, too! Our weather is cooler yet (60's) but it has been sunny...I will take that over snow, any day!
ha
Hope to post some more flower pictures again in a day or two. I LOVE taking them, so I hope everybody isn't sick of them yet.
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