Vacation

As many of you know I left cold, rainy Indiana for sunny SoCal this week. It has been an amazing week of inspiration, ideas and sweetness.

I have taken scores of pictures and wanted to share a few of the beautiful plants and flowers that inspired me, landscapes that started the creative juices flowing, and a little bit of the “sweetness” too.

INSPIRATION & IDEAS

Click on any picture to start the gallery feature and see my comments…

Wonderful restaurant on the Malibu Pier.

“Sally” is a very lucky girl, her beautiful rose garden is also her entrance to the ocean.

Never tire of the beautiful Iceberg

Rest …

Surfers doing their thing…

Don’t let this charming man fool you … he ate an entire 6″ fish in my presence…not pretty.

Love stone. Love.

Amazing use of honeysuckle…. and oh so fragrant!

A stunning entrance from the beach to a home…. roses EVERYWHERE!

More roses….

Doesn’t this look amazing!

Serene … Ice Plant

More roses….

This gets me EVERY TIME!

Another beauty.

This I must have! I actually think I might have the perfect place for one… if it can come in during the winter!?!?!?!? Hummmm, we’ll see.

THE SWEETNESS

Mr. H. . .

Tomorrow I head back to the cold and rainy weather AND Mr. G … more sweetness! 🙂

And, I say to the Polar Vortex … If you are coming, I’m ready for you!

I wish you a wonderful week and ….

Recently my daughter and I made a rather impromptu visit to the New York Botanical Gardens on a cold, sunny November morning. The cold wind did not stop us from being completely enchanted by this beautiful place. Half way into our tour we passed by the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden. What a beautiful surprise. Even through it was closed and past its blooming season, it was spectacular and quickly made it to our “must see in 2012” list. (Open May – October)

The rose garden, originally designed in 1916 and renovated in 2006/2007, is home to more than 4,000 rose plants and over 600 varieties.

This garden is fast becoming one of the world’s most environmentally friendly rose gardens.

Overcoming the rose’s reputation of being among the most chemically dependent flowers, they celebrate the addition of more than 1,700 new, hardy varieties–hybridization efforts from all over the world.

If you have never been there, maybe this needs to be on your “must see” list too. But, you don’t have to wait… take a peek at this video. Enjoy!