Reading Flowers

“The Infinite has written its name on the heavens in shining stars, and on Earth in tender flowers.”
— Jean Paul Richter

Rhododendron

These had giant blossoms!

 

Handsome Paths

“And what a dynamic, handsome object is a path!”
— Gaston Bachelard, The Poetics of Space:  The Classical Look at How We Experience Places

Path in Winslow down to the marina

I haven’t been out for a wilderness hike yet this year, but I have been enjoying some urban walks.  I love to go out with an open outlook and see what interesting things cross my path.  These pictures were taken on a recent outing to Bainbridge Island.  I couldn’t resist following this enticing green path down from the commercial center to the water.  And I was rewarded with a rare glimpse of a hummingbird!

Rhododendron

Daisies

Hummingbird and clover

 

Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden

Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden

The grounds and plantings at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden were so beautiful, I thought I’d share a few more photos from my visit:

Rhododendrons

Rhododendron leaves

Double-link viburnum

Garden bench under the viburnum blossoms

Rhododendron orbiculare

 

Life as a Time of Approaching

National Poetry Month. 26

Path through Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle

Rhododendron

“I call ‘poet’ any writing being who sets out on this path, in quest of what I call the second innocence, the one that comes after knowing, the one that no longer knows, the one that knows how not to know.

I call ‘poet’ any writer, philosopher, author of plays, dreamer, producer of dreams, who uses life as a time of ‘approaching.'”
— Helene Cixous, “Coming to Writing” and Other Essays

 

A Walk in the Park (Volunteer Park in Seattle)

Old trees, Volunteer Park, Seattle

One of the pleasures of having out-of-town guests is that you get to re-visit your favorite spots while you give them an insider’s view of your home town.  Volunteer Park in Seattle is one such place.  The rhododendrons were in bloom on this most recent visit, and the stately old trees stood in green grandeur.

The rhododendron is the official state flower for Washington

Old cedar tree

Under the canopy of a horse chestnut tree

My niece in the donut hole of Isamu Noguchi’s sculpture, “Black Sun,” in Volunteer Park

Rhododendron Splendor

View from under a rhododendron, Washington Park Arboretum

“The world looks quite different if you view it, calmly and objectively, from the shelter of a large rhododendron blossom, with a sort of scarlet tent over your head, and a speckled rug under your feet — though it is rather alarming when bumble-bees, the size of bullocks, peer in at the entrance, and buzz like sirens.”
— Beverley Nichols, Sunlight on the Lawn

Rhododendron

Rhododendron, Washington Park Arboretum

Rhododendron, Washington Park Arboretum

Rhododendron, Washington Park Arboretum

Rhododendron "Decorum" bud, Washington Park Arboretum

Some rhododendron petals are huge!

My neighbor's rhododendron bush

Rhododendron in the morning light

The Rhododendron: Washington’s State Flower

Rhododendron

“Of all the chores in the garden, I find [dead-heading rhododendrons] the most agreeable . . . I let the blossoms tumble to the earth so that they form a glowing pool of colour which makes them look, from a distance, as though Monet had been wandering around with a loaded brush.”
— Beverley Nichols, “Garden Open Today”

The rhododendrons are now pretty much withered and faded, but I did want to try painting them this year.  The coast rhododendron is Washington State’s flower, voted in 1892.  They come in so many colors.

Watercolor sketch of rhododendron

Rhododendron on my kitchen windowsill

Rhododendron at Lakewold Gardens

Rhododendron at Lakewold Gardens

Delicate rhododendron blossom

Seattle Day Trip: To Lakewold Gardens

Old wooden wheelbarrow, Lakewold Gardens

If you are looking for serenity in a natural setting, I highly recommend the Lakewold Gardens about 10 miles south of Tacoma.  It is just a few minutes off of I-5 between Seattle and Portland, and I can’t believe that no one has told me about it in the 30+ years I’ve lived in this region. It’s definitely worth seeking out this “undiscovered” gem.

The gardens are on a formerly private estate, and they were the creation and vision of Eulalie Wagner.  The gardens unfold in a series of “rooms” or nooks — a rhododendron path, open lawn, fern garden, tea house and cherry trees, pond, rock garden, knot garden, etc.  At the center is the Wagner House, where visitors can enjoy a wisteria-covered veranda and peek into the elegant rooms on the ground floor.

Here are some photos to give you a sense of this special place:

The wisteria-covered veranda of the Wagner House, Lakewold Gardens

Staircase, Wagner House

Wallpaper mural covers the wall in the foyer, Wagner House

Veranda scented by white wisteria, Wagner House

Himalayan Blue Poppies, Lakewold Gardens

Rhododendrons along Circle Drive

Tea House with lattice roof

Moss-covered branches in Lookout Peace Garden

Foliage against towering evergreen trees

Allium in thee cutting garden

Unusual purple stems with leaves fanning out

In the Garden Shop, Lakewold Gardens

In the Garden Shop