Everything's coming up...

 

The skies are still wintery gray this afternoon, there's (still) snow on the ground, and my mood is hardly sunny, but... Everything's coming up FLOWERS on my easel.  Above is a (probably) finished impression of lilacs from an on-line photographic reference.  I rearranged the stems, examined artificial lilacs closely and otherwise kind of "let 'er rip" when I was painting.  Loose Lilacs:  9 x 12  oil on panel

 

One of my co-painters asked what kind of flowers I was painting.  Until I was finished, I couldn't say.  I think they are mostly anemones (although they could be ranunculas).  The painting was inspired by an on-line painting... but I don't think anyone would confuse them by the time it had MY colors, MY brushwork and MY distorted planes.

At today's meeting of the Nashua Artists Breakfast Club we brought drawing supplies and Peter K brought his blooming Amaryllis.  The meeting was MUCH quieter than usual, but just as much fun.  Apparently I sketch fast (and furious?), because I did two images.  Maybe I just don't embarrass all that easily.

 

 Please note:  It's not all coming up roses.  I've got some grieving going on.  I won't go into detail in a public forum, but comfort and consolation is most welcome.

Fuller Heart after Fuller Gardens

I had only just heard about the Fuller Gardens (N. Hampton, New Hampshire) last week, when we stumbled upon them on an afternoon drive.  We sprang for the admission to see if the recommendation and fuss was well-deserved.  I think so.  You can judge for yourself.

 

The parking area was surrounded by shoulder deep (!) hostas that were in bloom.  Mine at home haven't even put spikes up yet!

 Immediately upon entering were two formal rose gardens.  SUCH VARIETY!  And immaculately pruned, dead headed and mulched.  I might have to go back another time to get names of the ones I liked best... Some were fragrant and some were beauteous.  Few were both.

A later "room" had hardscape charms, including fountains, statues and figurines.

 It was a challenge to get the massed perennials all in one photograph.

 Floribunda... and a quiet fountain.

 My grandfather's sundial had the advice:  Let us count none but the happy hours.  A nice sentiment, but probably one that contributed to the amazing denial skills my mother exhibited.

 I almost missed the Sphinxes that supported the bench by the Dahlia beds.

 New lily favorites... I loved "bilburgias" in California, but I think they require tropical weather.  These would make a good substitute.

 Another favorite "accessory"!

 Whatever these trees were (around the Japanese portion of the Gardens), they could stand in for the ones that kept everyone away from Sleeping Beauty all those years.

 The Koi were interesting to watch.  In spite of prominent signs not to put anything into the pond, they were clearly conditioned to expect something.

 A rustic bamboo water feature.  When the tube on the right filled up, it would dump the water out on the rocks.

 Dog wood.... ?

 "love and peace" rose.

 Living decor!

 Still.  Like a bunny.  He may have had nerves of steel, or just been a dumb bunny.
He let us get very close and then didn't run all that far away.

 

 He seemed to have guardians.

Not a fountain of youth, apparently, but charming just the same.

What's keeping them down on the (Geaudrault) Farm: a beautiful meander among the (mostly) annuals.

A friend of mine and I braved the pre-holiday drizzle to explore a local New Hampshire enterprise, The Goudreault Farm. I had been there last fall when everything was pumpkins and wreaths, but I was nearly blown away by the carpets of annuals they have produced for Spring.

 The Goudreaults have been farming since 1962, and are approaching their 80's.  Hard working, strong and friendly, they told us they get up at 4:30 am and are tired by 5:30.  PM.  I would think so!  We found them sorting sold plants from available ones.  The saddest thing, I think, is that they've had the farm on the market for several years but haven't come to a deal.  I hope they can find some one, or even a group of people who will keep the farm going.  I understand that there used to be more animals, but now it is mostly annuals with perennials and vegetables for good measure.

 We observed the horses from afar as it was very muddy and slippery.  I didn't see the goats or chickens on this visit.

 This horse might be "special."  He was at the top of the hill and watched us warily.

 An outbuilding is full of garden accessories-- mostly sculptures, signs, and whimsies.  They also have locally made preserves (my favorite is lime-ginger marmalade!)  I'll show them in my next post.  This one is mostly about the flowers.

 

My husband put up some extra hooks on our porch.  I do believe I'll have to get some more baskets of petunias (or maybe fuchsias) to keep me and the hummingbirds entertained.

Alostromeria

 Verbena

 Iris

 Mandevilla (?)

 Tree Peonies

 Peonies are new to me.  

I understand now why so many people love them.  

They are showy, and splendiferous.

 I felt as overwhelmed as one can feel in a big fancy bakery.  And for me, considering these aren't edible, it's pretty amazing.  My hungry eyes were made hungrier even as they were sated.

 Impatiens were doing well in spite of worrying notices in some nurseries about a moldy fungal plague.

 Gerberas!

 Dahlias.  Another flower new to me.  The first time I saw a lot of them was at a judged, juried show at the Topsfield Fair.  Who knew that there were flower growing contests?  Well, I knew... I just hadn't SEEN any!
Aren't these pink ones magnificent?

 They had hanging baskets of Lantana.  I like looking at the flower domes from the under side.

 The magenta and vermilion of the verbena(?) and Gerbera practically made the air vibrate.  It must be an optical convergence or something.

 Then we saw balletic fuchsias.  Bountiful baskets full.  And in several color variants.

 I am thinking of painting silk scarves.  The colors and shapes of fuchsias would be fun... even if they don't turn out to be 100% botanically accurate.

My husband loves ANY kind of key lime pie.  He might draw the line at these, though.

Did you plant coleus as a child?  

I did, but because it was actually in a flower bead rather than pot-bound in pots, it was never as wildly exuberant as this display.

 More Dahlias and them some Morning Glories ready to climb.

 Only Nature or maybe Andy Warhol would combine these colors!

 I think the plant I bought last week that I couldn't find the name of might be Angelface.  What a great name!

 Rusty orange Heuchera.  Another painting possibility... or scarf inspiration for the fall.

 Mandevilla's galore.  I hope people managed to over winter them indoors! 

 Textures in contrast.

 In one of the "hoop house" green houses, I was startled by a hummingbird flying laps back and forth from one end to another.  FAST.  I felt like a person in a tennis match watching cartoon.  Left. Right. Left. Right.Sometimes he'd stop at the purple spikes above, and sometimes he'd stop on an empty plant hanger at the far end of the tent. He moved too fast for me to shoot AND focus.  The little lump below is the best I could do. 

 I don't suppose they are thinking about discarding any of these pots.  I especially like the blue and red one.

 Bleeding heart.  

More painting/dyeing inspiration.  

I can see green leafy shapes with highlighted hearts on black silk, can't you?

 I guess that the heuchera can bloom! 

The flower spikes alternating with varied leaf colors created another textural complexity.

 I don't know if this is something special or some sort of blight.  (Don't worry, that's how Tulips got to be so expensive in the 1600's... nobody knew what they'd look like when they bloomed.)  At any rate, these petunias looked like they had glitter sprinkled on them.

 And more Lantana.  We DID have these in Texas, but mostly the orange ones.  Probably because most everything in Texas is UT ORANGE.  I prefer the pink and yellow.

Go plant something!