Sunday, May 08, 2011

Le Tour Des Jardins


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Each spring, the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners sponsors a tour of some of the loveliest gardens in the area. They are located at various homes in the area and  are always creative and beautiful. I thought I would share some of the pictures I took yesterday as I enjoyed the beauty and talent of these gardeners.

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The first garden I visited is out in the country and included a beautiful vegetable garden. There are espaliered apple trees, blackberry and muscadine vines along with lots of raised beds of veggies. There were several acres of flowers, trees and vegetables. This is one of my favorites of the day.

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In the background of the picture above is a small, one room house that is used as a "canning" kitchen. It is immaculate with counter space, an old rectangle cast iron sink and a modern gas range along with a refrigerator.  It also has a seating area for relaxing after work is done. I think this is a wonderful idea, keeping the mess and heat from the main house.

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The next garden was a more formal affair with this wonderful wrought iron piece on the garage.
Isn't it funny how our eye is always drawn to the center opening?

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Beautiful sculptures and fountains graced this space.

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I thought the colors in this planter were so striking together.
 The lime green of the creeping jenny contrasting with the reds of the impatiens and the cool blue-gray of the flagstone.

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The next garden had this wonderful antique gaslight
that I just fell in love with!
What a treasure to have beside your patio.

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This beautiful Clematis climbing up a tree was not actually
on the tour. It was in the yard across the street, and so
beautiful I couldn’t resist taking its picture.
 Another clever idea in displaying a blooming vine.

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This pretty house also caught my eye on the same street. It has a “For Sale” sign in front and the black and white awnings and curtains are very striking with the grey paint and black shutters.

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Lush foliage gave the gardens a cool, inviting feel in addition to the color of the flowers. I like to use different shades of green and different textures and shapes in my yard as well. How about you?

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One of the gardens had an outdoor fireplace and I thought this vignette on the mantle just so sweet and fitting.

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I will leave you with this sweet Clematis today. I have more, including my favorite, hydrangeas, to share in my next post.  The tour always inspires me to come  home and try something  new or different in my own yard and I usually find a new plant to try.


I know I have been absent  for a couple of weeks,
taking a break from the blogging world.
My life has been unusually hectic and the
creativity just hasn’t been there.
 Hopefully, I will regroup and my trusty Canon and I will find new and interesting things to share on a more regular basis.

Thank you for visiting today.

2 comments:

Jenni said...

You took some gorgeous photos, Carolyn.... that tour must have been so inspirational!

I fell in love with the otter fountain, how adorable! I just really enjoyed all of the pics, actually, and can't wait to see what else you have in store....
Hope you had a beautiful day!
Hugs,
Jenni

Southern Lady said...

Oh, what a beautiful way to begin my day, Carolyn! Thank you for sharing the tour with us -- my favorites were the old gaslight and the "church" birdhouse nestled in the flowerbed. I can't wait for the rest of the tour.

I've missed you ...