Last spring, I wandered for hours through the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve, sun on my back, a warm dry wind rippling through the acres of poppies. The ceaseless fluttering of the petals, the unending fields of gold amongst the silver grasses - it was enchanting, hypnotic, soporific.This area had a very dry winter and spring, I can only imagine what it's like in a year of normal rainfall.
This weekend I went to Huntington Gardens (http://www.huntington.org/) and enjoyed the golden offerings there. Very different from the wild and lonely preserve, the gardens are just magnificent: densely planted and immacculately maintained. To do justice to the entire 120 acres would take several visits.
From the Herb Garden: A Zinnia basks in the sunlight.
Gaillardia and honeybee, collecting gold of yet another kind. (This photo by Fred E.)
From the Rose Garden: Carding Mill, a newer variety from David Austin.
Comte de Champagne, another fabulous David Austin rose.
And finally - from the enormous Conservatory: Lady's Slipper Orchid with it's tiny pocket lined with gold.
6 comments:
I love your site! Beautiful pictures and writing.
Kate -
Thank you for stopping by Garden Grit!
One of the most pleasurable aspects of blogging is getting to 'meet' all the other gardeners and seeing something of what they do.
I especially love your credo that "..there's nothing that can't be pulled out or moved...."
Chloe M.
I love California poppies too. I had a lot here but they didn't come back this year. It was the first time in several years. Not sure what happened to them. I guess I need to throw out some more seeds(-;
Hi Cindee,
I usually sow the poppy seeds annually - because here by the coast they mildew by the end of May and I usually pull them out and compost them.
One year I had left over poppy seeds from making a cake - I just tossed them around in the garden and was rewarded with some huge, silvery mauve poppies with a velvety black center.
Chloe M.
The fields of wildflowers, with the gold disappearing into the distance are beautiful.
The colour on the lady slipper orchid is wonderful. The orange red being echoed by the speckles inside the slipper is very appealing.
Northern Shade,
Thank you so much! The poppy preserve was truly 'otherworldly'.
Lady Slipper orchids are pretty incredible too.
Chloe
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