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To live and enjoy every day to its fullest, use my gifts to help others, I travel to wherever passion finds me.

What Will She Paint?

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Monday, April 13, 2009

THE HUNTINGTON GARDENS

A trumpet flower on an abundantly flowering Brugmansia tree, symbolically as The Announcement for Easter day.

Saturday, the day before Easter, it was very windy, so I thought that it would cross my plans to walk in the botanical gardens on the grounds of the Huntington Library on Sunday afternoon. But, instead it was a gorgeous sunny day. Hubby and I took so many pics that these are just a small selection.


The renowned international library draws international visitors for their yearly conventions. If I remember it correctly, we could not take pics in there. Most visitors however, come for the botanical gardens, and the art museum. This fountain is in front of the library, and this is the lower part of it.












This is the upper part of the fountain.
The botanical gardens are on the grounds of the Huntington Library, which span about 207 acres.





This is a part of the pond of the Japanese garden. I have seen whole classes of artists sketching here. The angle of the bridge is a challenge in perspective.This unusual looking tree is apparently without leaves. It reminds me of a wild hair do :).



This is the right side of the pond. Many big Koi fish in the pond, but I misplaced those pics! When enlarging the image you may see a big orange Koi swimming.
Everywhere in the shade people were sitting and laying on the grass, relaxing.







At the Lilly ponds I was so lucky to catch this bird, but had to wait a while, because it kept having its head buried in its feathers. (click to enlarge image to see it better) I leave it to you nature lovers to determine which bird it is. It looks like a big enlarged duck or goose with extended legs to me, LOL. Or is it a swan?


I'll close this relaxing walk off with this little boy steering his paper boat in the water of the Lilly ponds. No matter where, children find a way to play.

30 comments:

Unknown said...

How lovely! Must have been great spending a day in such splendor!

Jeannette StG said...

Yes, one Mothersday my son had the idea to visit these grounds, and we have returned several times.
Since my son lives in China (he's in his mid-tenties though, but still I worry sometimes), I wonder what became of your son - did he return with you?

Unknown said...

I am jealous, the daffodils are barely up and things are just turning green. That reminds me of the lushness of Houston, where I know it is green and pretty already!

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

Beautiful gardens Jeanette. I have always seen that bush with the trumpet flowers and have never known what it was called. Thanks for nameing it for me. Ours has white flowers and not yellow.

Is your wild hair tree a willow? It looks like it from the way the branches are hanging. I would think that is a beautiful place to sit and paint.Somehow I have always thought Japanese bridges and gardens to be extremely beautiful.

Jeannette StG said...

Aaah, you lived in Texas? I lived in Waxachachie once for 1 1/2 year, about 20 miles from Dallas, to go to college. That's where I learned to eat grits and okra (which I both love).
The down side of evrything being in bloom now is that most of the year we spend a lot of water to keep our plants and flowers alive!

Michelle said...

What a wonderful garden!

Jeannette StG said...

Joan,
the white one I like even more than the yellow - so beautiful.

The wild hair tree a willow? Maybe related to the willow...I don't really know (and forgot to copy its name:) )...the weeping willows in Holland have mint green leaves, but its branches are not as thick and wiry, and have different color.

My, you are up early, Joan, according to my time clock at the bottom it's not even 5 am yet! I sent you an email.

Jeannette StG said...

Thank you Michelle - have no idea how the weather, and flowering plants are where you live. Am very curious about Autralia, because I've never been on that continent.

Rosie said...

Oh what a lovely garden, I've only ever seen the trumpet flowers in hot houses over here in the UK. I think your bird is a wild goose not sure what kind though:)

Jeannette StG said...

Yes, itsn't it beautiful? Although where you were walking on Monday was also beautiful, in a more poetic way. Maybe it's a goose, who knows:) Thanks for trying, O yes, almost forget - also thanks for the follow!

Reader Wil said...

That was a great relaxing walk indeed! Thanks for sharing! You asked what camera I have. It's a Pentax Optio( 5x zoom USB 2.0). 5.0 Megapixels.
There are many cameras which have more megapixels, but I am satisfied with this one even if I can never reach the level of those photographers on blogspot who have the best equipment, like extra lenses and a tripod. Mine is just a point and shoot camera and very small!

Jeannette StG said...

Thank you Wil for explaining about your camera. I have 8 megapix., and it's a medium camera, but I can't reach the sharpness of the last flower photos you have -my compliments! I'll ask hubby to look at your pics - maybe I have to change the settings (he's taking a course in digital photgraphy).

DUTA said...

Qualiy pictures. What I like most is the picture of the bridge and that of the boy with his paper boat.

Ruth said...

What a serene and beautiful place! Truly inspirational.

Carol Murdock said...

Jeanette......these are beautiful gardens! I love the statues and fountains too. Angel Trumpets are very common here but I don't have any and I don't know why. I'll have to get one on my next nursery visit!

Unknown said...

Jeannette, ha ha! I think it's time I told the rest of the story!Give me a few days.

Irene said...

I had been there a long time ago and had completely forgotten about all those things. It's like seeing it for the first time. I must have been elsewhere with my head the first time. It's gorgeous.

Jeannette StG said...

Duta,
thank you:) You would have loved to see all of the Japanese garden - this is just a small part of it. sometimes you're just there at the right time to shoot the pic like that one of the little boy!

Jeannette StG said...

Ruth,
Yes, so true. And than to think that a single family started the library and the gardens! (a rich family though).

Jeannette StG said...

Carol,
I love fountains. The angel trumpets you don't see here in people's yards - I also haven't seen them in the nursuries - have seen cuttings for sale on the internet -who knows I'll get one.

Jeannette StG said...

Jane,
Thanks, I am very curious!

Jeannette StG said...

Irene,
Well it was a long time ago for you! I think most people come for the rose gardens - roses seem to be more popular here than in Holland, what do you think?

Irene said...

I think you're right, we're more into the bulb plants and not so much the roses.

Dick said...

That must have been a nice day, it's a weird bird looks like some sorts are mixed together. lol

Jeannette StG said...

Irene,
maybe it has to do with the weather - I am lucky if I can keep tulips in a vase nice here for 4 days!

Jeannette StG said...

Dick,
It was in the eighties (Fahrenheit) that day, while on Sat. it was 69-70 F. It took me the longest time to get used to the weather - Within one day there can be a difference of 30 F. degrees.
Guess what - I am laying my last hand on the pastel painting from the pic you gave me permission for -turned out pretty good:)

david mcmahon said...

Those are amazing blooms. Never seen anything like that here in Melbourne, Australia.

(I came here from Carol Murdock's site.)

Jeannette StG said...

David,
Never seen in Holland either, where I come from originally (so I'm a Dutchman living in Los Angeles). The irony of it is that "Brugman", which the tree with these blooms was named after, is a very Dutch name. This name is even used in an idiomatic phrase, "talking like Brugman" which means that your could convince someone to start selling ice cream in hell.
Thanks for visiting my blog:)

antigoni said...

Great place to spend your day. I hope you had happy and peaceful Easter holiday.

Jeannette StG said...

Antigoni,
Yes, for me Easter is even more important, and more personal than Christmas. What could be more joyous than the resurrection day? do you realize that it was on Easter afternoon that we went to the Huntington gardens?