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	Twilight Lecture Series   Garden of Lights   Holiday Tram   Indoor Exhibits Dandy Lion's Blog   Eagle News   Green Roof   Share Your Memories		The View From Below  by Dandy Lion       Pressed Flowers (The Archives) July-August 2008 March 2008 December 2007 May-June 2008 February 2008 November 2007 April 2008 January 2008 October 2007     November 14, 2008 A Trip to Japan   Today is a lovely rainy day.  The Garden is quiet with only a handful of visitors enjoying the damp envrions.  I have spent the last few days in the Japanese Garden.  This is a great place to avoid gardeners at this time of year.  Some are busy setting up lights and displays all over the Garden for the seasonal Garden of Lights that starts in a few weeks.  Fortunately there is no light display in here, so I am in no danger from that staff.  Other gardeners are busy changing the seasonal planting displays – pulling out summer annuals and then planting winter annuals and plants.  When they do that, it is more than prudent to stay away from certain gardens – I really don’t like trowels, shovels, gardening forks and bony fingers.  So I had to find a place that “those people” won’t come to work.   This is a good time of year to be in the Japanese Garden.  The garden features a beautiful tapestry of green created by the formally sheared boxwoods, pines and junipers. Other plantings provide a rich variety of green shading for your eyes to explore.  The dark green sasanqua camellia is full of buds.  The dwarf pittosporums shimmer with deep green leaves while lighter green candles of new growth flicker across the surface of the shrubs. The fine texture and color of the mondo grass creates a luxurious carpet along the ground.  In vibrant contrast, the many different types of maples and cherries stand out as their leaves turn shades of red, orange and a little yellow.  More yellow comes from the pomegranates and a fringe tree turning colors along the edge of the road.  With the rain, all the leaves have just a little more sparkle, thanks to the droplets of water dotting their surfaces.    The garden is obviously a favorite of many visitors.  Children delight in crossing the little stone bridge. Photographers click away, taking pictures of the little stone lantern or the splattering waterfall draped with a brilliant red Japanese maple.  It is a contemplative spot for some.  Others are intrigued by the twisting paths and enjoy the journey from one side of the garden to the other.  The café terrace provides a nice view of the garden and the canal beyond for those that like the big picture.  And for me, it is relatively gardener free these days.  That is certainly the reason it is my favorite garden this week.      November 7, 2008 Fall Foliage – Finally! Fall came to the Garden this week.  Yes, we’ve had some cooler weather for a while and a few trees here and there had some leaves turning color, but the autumn season seemed a little lackluster.  Then, with all the cool damp weather this past week, the color started coming out on the trees.  I know a lot of folks like to come in the spring when all the flowers, especially the azaleas, are in bloom – they want to see lots of color.  The color tones at this time of year are yellows, oranges and reds, not pinks, red and lavender.  As anyone who knows me, I think that yellow is one of the best colors there is. So, if you don’t come to the Garden in the next week or two, you will miss one of the biggest color displays of the year. You can go just about anywhere in the Garden to see some fall color.  The crape myrtles are turning that nice burnt orange and are visible from quite a distance.  The weeping cherries are finally turning a nice yellow. A walk through any of the woody areas of the Garden is a delight.  Here and there are some spectacular trees and the combination as you look through the woods is very nice.  I’ve enjoyed the Mirror Lake area, Enchanted Forest, the Rhododendron Glade and around Baker Overlook.  The vibrant colors of the Chinese Pistache in the Arboretum stands out from distance.  However, one of the more surprising gardens is the Hydrangea Garden. When talking about the Hydrangea Garden, most people think you need to spend some time in there in the early summer, when all the hydrangeas are in bloom.  However, some of the hydrangeas have great fall foliage – the tree hydrangeas are a yellow beacon amongst the plantings and the oakleaf hydrangeas along the back are starting to turn a beautiful crimson red.  Don’t forget, all those shrubs need trees for shade and some of those trees are quite stunning.  Umbrellas of yellow are seen overhead thanks to the sweet gums scattered around.  Different maples are starting to turn, offering shades of yellow and red.  The southern sugar maple is just starting to turn bright yellow.  A blackgum in the center of the Garden blazes bright red, calling to visitors to come visit.  Those who accept the invitation are rewarded by a great display in the back corner.  Two witch hazels are dueling as to who has the brightest yellow, while nearby a taller native fringetree spreads out with a creamier yellow attire.  I have found my spot.  So if you are really into garden color, don’t wait until spring.  Drop everything and come see me and my friends right now. It’s the best show in town.   October 24, 2008 Halloween Comes Early What a scary couple of weeks!  A couple of  Saturdays ago, I was all set to enjoy a nice relaxing birthday.  All of a sudden there came a huge crowd of people for something one of them called a “Pull and Plant” day.  For some folks, Halloween is the time for all things scary, but for someone like me, who is only four inches tall, the words “pull” in connection with plants is enough to send shivers down my stem.  I mean, the gardeners are bad enough, but now they went and recruited volunteers to help them.  That is so sadistic! Needless to say, I had to find a place where no seasonal plantings were.  The pull and plant was all about changing out display gardens and I had no plans of being a flower that was pulled out.  Being near Baker Overlook, I went and hid under the deciduous hollies in the arboretum.  That worked alright for a few days.  Their leaves are still green and the berries are getting bright red, so it was very colorful and pleasant under there.  The Sparkleberry was especially nice to me and I will come back for a visit during the winter when all her leaves are gone and she’s got just berries on show.  Unfortunately, once the Mutambo exhibit closed, the gardeners started spending more time in that area as they took out the sculptures.  Getting stomped on or a log dropped on me was not something I wanted to have happen, so I had to leave that scary place. I have settled into the wildflower meadow for now.  At this time of year it is very charming in a subtle way.  Most people get excited about the meadow in the late spring and early summer when sweeps of bright wildflowers are in bloom.  They are very pretty indeed, but at this time of year there is a lot to see as well.  Bold color doesn’t dominate the eye, but the variety really makes up for it.  A plethora of grasses sway in the breeze, creating a sense of gentle motion.  Their browns, tans and greens create a muted backdrop for other flowers.  Bright yellow coreopsis, yellow and orange blanket flower, red salvia, blue/purple eupatorium, white boltonia and aster provide scattered color everywhere you turn.  Here and there are the fading flowers of goldenrod – turning from their former bright yellow to a soft mustard color.  Some of the stars of summer like sunflowers and coneflowers are hanging around, too.  Thier flowers have long faded, but they create architectural interest as their seed pods feed the birds.  All sorts of wildlife hang out here – they know where a happening place is. So this is the place I belong.  I provide my own subtle flash of color and the pull and planters are not interested in me here.  Perhaps you should see if it is a great place for you too.   October 10, 2008 Happy Birthday to Me! Tomorrow is my birthday.  I am always grateful for that nice honeybee that introduced my father to my mother.  Without her help, my parents would never have gotten together.  Along with my brothers and sisters, I was conceived here in the Garden and have enjoyed my entire life here.  So far, it’s been great.  The only problem I have are those pesky gardeners. To celebrate, I decided to hit a high spot in the Garden – Baker Overlook.  At least it seems pretty high to me, sitting way up here.  This is a wonderfully quiet spot.  Two chairs invite human visitors to sit on the deck, surrounded by flowering plants, almost invisible to the passersby in the garden below. The overlook is especially nice at this time of year.  Many fall flowers are in bloom and some summer flowers are still around.  The white butterfly bush and the fragrant abelia are bright spots around the deck.  Near the steps hang the dangerously beautiful Angel’s trumpet.  This one is the Brugmansia.  Some people like to call the Datura Angel’s Trumpet as well and that always leads to confusion.  The flowers are similarly funnel shaped, but the Brugmansia’s hang down (they’ve been Bad) while the Datura’s point up.  On the overlook there are two types of Brugmansia – a nice bright yellow one known as Charles Grimaldi and a peachy pink one known as Ecuador Pink.  On the hill side a tan swath of ‘Heavy Metal’ switch grass creates a nice foil for the brightly colored salvias that surround it.  On one side is the intense purple of Mexican bush sage, with velvety flowers that invite you to stroke them.  On the other side is the ‘Raspberry Royal’  autumn sage, its fiery red clusters of blossoms beckoning to the ever helpful bees.  At the bottom of the hill, in front of the switch grass is ‘Black and Blue’ blue anise sage.  Bright blue flowers erupt from black calyces.  When a honey bee lands to take the nectar, the flower trembles lightly, but when a bumble bee stops by, the whole flower stoops under its weight.  The brilliant colors spread across the hill are a great example of the variety of salvias in the autumn garden. Well, I’m going to go enjoy some extra nice sap this evening and celebrate my birthday.  Top of the world (or at least the overlook) to you.        October 3, 2008 A Berry Beautiful Garden After I dried out from all the wetness of last week, I moved to the Matson Garden.  It’s only a short walk for most people and the journey is not that bad for me as well.  I’m not going to tell you how I move, because you might tell a gardener and then ruin my tour of the garden.  The Matson Garden is a nice place to be at this time of year.  Early in the mornings, I see the bald eagles checking out the nests (both last year’s and the older one) and making some renovations.  They seem to be going to the older one more often – perhaps a move is in their plans again this year.  Down here for us earth-bound citizens, there are a lot of great plants to see.  Asters and cannas are standing tall, emphasizing my shortness.  The colorful golden leaves of the ‘Golden Gem’ Japanese holly are a nice contrast to the dark purple leaves of the Mexican Shrubby Spurge.  The false butterfly bush is putting out velvety floral ropes spiked with small purple stamens.  It’s not really a butterfly bush, its true name is Rostrincula dependens so I see why it wants to use a more common name – even if it is misleading. There is a small stone path for those who want to venture off the main road that runs by the garden.  Any adventurer that takes this route is rewarded two-fold.  First, is the stunning purple Japanese beautyberry.  Unlike our native American beautyberry which is large and exuberant full of flashy clumps of berries, this is a more restrained shrub.  It is only about 4 feet tall and its branches arch gracefully towards the ground.  Plentiful bright purple berries sit in clusters, nestled nicely between the wings of opposite leaves that flare from the spine of the branch.    The second treat is not for the eyes but for the nose.  There are two fragrant tea olives, large evergreen shrubs standing nearly twelve feet tall, flanking the path.  Normally, people just walk by these architectural giants, but right now they are making a statement.  They are in full flower.  An eagle-eyed observer might notice the little golden flowers in tight clumps against the stems, but he or she certainly won’t miss the smell!  A velvety sweet smell wraps around anyone walking along the path, creating an intoxicating moment in the garden.  Standing there, seeing the beauty of the violet berries and breathing in the delicious fragrance of the tea olive is something special to savor. So I am sitting here at the end of this little path, watching people walk by and, with my sunny charm, trying to encourage them to walk the stone path less traveled.  So far only a few dozen people have made the right choice.  The rest continued on the main path and never realized what they missed.  Come on out this weekend and see if you can make the right decision.     September 25 Blustery Day Last weekend I picked up my roots and headed to the Sarah Lee Baker Perennial Garden.  With the arrival of all the wind this week, I think I made a great decision.  Today a nor’easter must be coming through.  The yaupon hedge surrounding the garden is perfect protection for a little guy like me and it creates a nice backdrop for the taller plants.  Of course another nice thing about windy days in this garden is the opportunity to see and hear all the different ornamental grasses in motion.  Visitors arriving from the Circle Garden will see a rolling sea of grasses on their right.  A variety of different types of maiden grass swirl around in the breeze, their seed heads bouncing high like foam on waves.  The leaves rustle continuously in the wind, creating a soothing sound much like ocean waves.  In front of them burst the fountain grasses.  Their bottle-brush seed heads sway stiffly in the wind, marking time like a metronome.  In the foreground bounce the seed heads of the wood oats.  This plant has a bit of an identity crisis – he has so many different nicknames: River Oats, Wood Oats, Indian Wood-oats, Wild oats (bet he gets teased about that one a lot) and Northern Sea Oats.  He’s related to the sea oats, but is just a cousin.  Of course his real name is Chasmanthium latifolium, so I just call him Chas.  That really gets under his stolon.  That's the trouble you get into when you have too many nicknames. Large stands of the ornamental grasses command attention in many of the perennial garden beds, but there are other great plants to be found. Tea plants are starting to put out their discreet white flowers.  Clumps of goldenrod are sprinkled among the plantings.  The compact cultivar ‘Fireworks’ shoots sprays of delicate yellow flowers in all directions.  The ‘Autumn Joy’ stonecrop fills the borders nicely with its rich dark pink tones.  Joe-pye weed is almost finished blooming, but the seed heads are just as interesting.  The cool colors of the Asters provide a nice counterpoint to the yellows and reds of the other flowers.  The light colored flowers of ‘Whirling Butterfly’ gaura dance with joy at being in the garden at this time of year. Today it is a bit wet, but the wind is blowing nicely.  The plants in the perennial garden are singing and dancing for those brave enough to come out.  I am, are you?           September 15, 2008 Kaleidoscopes I’ve spent the last couple of weeks in the Butterfly Garden and the Wildflower Meadow.  Like a kaleidoscope, wherever you turn you will see a variety of beautiful colors in an ever changing pattern.  Zinnias in shades of pink, red, yellow and orange; Pentas in white, lavender and red; purple gomphrena; deep orange firecracker plant; blue and pink porterweed; yellow senna.  These and other colorful flowers are spread throughout the Butterfly Garden.  The wildflower meadow has a more limited palette but just as colorful – shades of green highlighted by bursts of yellow from goldenrod and Maximillian sunflower.  Of course the true color connoisseur will enjoy the small punctuations of pure yellow that my cousins and I provide. Accenting this incredible foundation of color are vibrant flashes of moving jewels – butterflies and other insects.  Most visitors will probably first notice the bright creamy yellow of the cloudless sulfurs.  They fly frantically from flower to flower, sipping nectar as if it is about to disappear.  Every now and then a small whirling tornado of two or three will dance together towards the sky.  Stand in the garden for a few moments and your eyes will start to adjust just like walking into a bright room.  More and more butterflies seem to appear from nowhere.  The small clouded sulfur, with its dark-edged yellow wings, moves even more quickly.  Black swallowtails bounce lazily from blossom to blossom. Red-spotted purples rest gently on a vinca, enjoying the nectar like a fine wine.  An intensely orange Gulf fritillary darts by.  Silvery flashes of white spots appear when it briefly rests for a drink. Other butterflies enjoy these plantings as well.  Monarchs and swallowtails are regularly spotted, but hairstreaks, skippers and other small butterflies require a keener eye.  If you are lucky, you may get to see a pipevine swallowtail. Their black and iridescent blue wings are a sight.  They are new arrivals in the garden this year.  The gardeners planted a Dutchman’s pipe vine several years ago in hopes of attracting this insect and their patience was finally rewarded this summer. Of course, other animals enjoy the garden.   A chorus of bees, beetles and other insects buzz and chirp as they go about their own business of pollinating.  Predatory insects come calling with all this food available, so spiders have set traps throughout the plantings.  A variety of birds perch nearby, looking for a tasty snack – vegetarian or not.  Of course the most amusing are the human animals.  Many sedately wander through the garden, enjoying the butterflies and plants, while others (especially photographers) dart about, trying to track a single creature.  It becomes almost comical as their heads whip around, trying to take in all the colorful sights and then try to capture them with a camera.  So come on out to the Butterfly Garden, I need a good laugh.             Home 6700 Azalea Garden Road Norfolk, Virginia 23518 (757) 441-5830
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