Things are starting to wind down a bit. This summer has been busier than normal. A few weeks ago, Ron, Liz and I went to visit Ron's mother. She and her husband have retired and have a cute little place on the lake. I get along great with my mother in law and find it very relaxing and wonderful there! We always have a good time but on this visit Kay had cabin fever so the two of us made an escape one morning and she took me to tour Cornell's Botanical Gardens which is part of Cornell Plantations. They had some really cool stuff I'd never seen before. These flowers look like Pineapples.
I loved this little blue flower. Unfortunately, my close up was blurred but if you can zoom on this, you will see how delicate it is. It's one I want to research this winter to find out if could make it in a zone 4. Does anyone know what it is? I was suprised they didn't have cards indicating what everything was.
Kay and I were looking at her gardens the day before we went to Cornell and she gave me seeds from one of her plants that was done blooming. She told me it was technically a weed but the butterfly's love it and it's pretty. Besides, what's one more "weed" in the garden? When we got to the plantations, she told me this was the flower. I guess Cornell thought weeds in the garden were OK as well. LOL The bee's liked it too, there is one in the photo if you look closely.
The butterflies were out that day as well. It has been a great summer for the butterflies. I don't ever remember seeing so many monarchs around. Apple is always catching wildlife in her photos, I think this is my first (other than Franklin and Princess anyway.)
I liked this ground cover. It seemed like a cross between bishops weed and pachysandra. I am into plants with variegated leaves lately.
I would love to go back at a different time of year as most of the garden was past it's peak. They also have a wildflower garden and arboretum there.
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The Cornell Plantations is one of our favorite places to visit when we go to see our girls in Ithaca. Kylie and Ko were married there last Sept. and if you look in my archives under "gardens visited" you'll see how the gardens were still blooming beautifully in early September last year. I wonder if you were in the same part that we were.
ReplyDeleteThe blue flower is Salvia. I sowed some seeds late this summer and just planted them out last week but they're growing quickly and hopefully I'll have some nice flowers from them next summer. There's a red salvia I'd like to try too.
I love your butterfly photo.
They actually had pineapples growing in pots just where you walk in, sitting up on a wall, in front of the building...if that's the part you were in.
The fuzzy flowers are neat. They look a bit like thistles, but they're new to me.
The blue fuzzy plant is cardoon. It's kinda pokey and best grown in bunches, definetly a Dr. Suess kind of plant!!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could stumble on a big patch of that pachysandra!! I have the green one and I love it!!! I asked the guy who lives in the townhouse if I could take a little bit of it and he said sure! I got a baggie full but it's now really grown!!
I wish all my plants would do that!
I'm glad Sissy knew what that blue thistle-looking thing was, Country Girl - I didn't have a clue! But when she said the name I realized we've seen the plant's foliage before, but not the bloom.
ReplyDeleteYour post makes me wish my two daughters-in-law lived closer - we've had fun at our local botanical garden when they've come to Austin. It's cool that you went to Cornell with your mother-in-law!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I'm confused... I was going to say that the blue flower is an annual salvia, but if Kerry expects to see blooms next year maybe I'm not giving it enough hardiness credit? Either way, I loved the tour--thanks for bringing us along. :)
ReplyDeleteKerri - I checked out your Cornel posts, WOW! You have some great shots! My mother in law had been to the gardens 4 - 6 weeks prior to our visit and said they were spectacular then. I was pretty impressed when we were there but she indicated they weren't as nice as her prior visit. I need to go back early in the season and later like you did. A good excuse for another visit!
ReplyDeleteHey Sissy - Glad you are back! I'm glad you knew the name of that one plant. It was definately unusual!
Hi Annie - I am blessed to have a great mother in law! I have a feeling your daughter in laws feel the same way!
Hi Blankswamp Girl - Thanks for visiting. Hope you can come again!
Thanks for visiting. Glad you had a chance to sook at the Cornell Plantation posts. It was a photographer's dream!
ReplyDeleteLooks like Kim (BlkSwamp G) is right about that Salvia. Darn it, I'll have to plant more next year. The package didn't say...It was a freeby) and for some reason I thought this particular Salvia (Gentian Sage..Salvia Patens) was a perennial. Your comment today on my post made me come back to answer your message...and therefore, I found your reply to my comment...and Kim's comment.
Yes, the CP's is a great place to visit often. I'd love to be closer to it! my e-mail will be linked to my comment in your inbox...so no need to visit again if you want to respond...just click reply.