Just a quick break from my dolly sewing to bring you MAY! I know the 1st is actually Sunday, but I don’t usually write a post on Sunday, so I figured I’d show you these beautiful pictures from Linda so you could look at them over the entire weekend.
Linda and her hubby went to the St. Louis Missouri Botanical Gardens and it was a B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L day… It sure would be fun to take my dolls there and get them in some “flowery” pictures. I hope you enjoy her pictures.
If you click on the pictures and are on a lap or desk top computer, they fill up the whole screen and it’s really nice to see them that way.
Here are some more! The one with the big white house is Henry Shaw’s house, who started the garden years ago, and this was where he lived on the grounds. As you can see, Spring has arrived!
Thank you Linda! As always, beautiful pictures and we feel like we’re with you walking around smelling all those wonderful sweet smells!
See everyone Monday,
Blessings, Jeanne
Thank you, Linda, for sharing your wonderful pictures! Those flowers are just gorgeous.
Out here, we’ve had some of the flowering trees come and go already; now it’s tulip time. Also, it’s almost time for the azaleas (we have a large fuchsia-colored one, which is almost ready to bloom) and lilacs. I’ve always said, I knew I picked the right guy when I found out he had a lilac planted in the front yard! 😂🤣😂 Lilacs are my favorite flower, and the main reason we got married in May–there were lilacs amongst the flowers in the altar bouquets as well as the centerpiece for the reception, and parishioners had brought in lilacs from their own trees, so there were bouquets of them all over the church–even in the ladies’ room! Some years our lilacs bloom earlier than others; this year, I think they might still be blooming for our wedding anniversary (May 18th), so a little later than some years (in 2016, they bloomed in the middle of April!).
Happy May, everyone!!
Hi, Charlotte,
We have a love of lilacs in common. Even though we got married May 31, in Vermont, there were still lilacs and they were everywhere in the church. They were always in my classroom, as well; however, there were two sad years when they were not as I had a student who was very allergic to them.
Here, our lilac bushes look like they will open up any minute, but they look like that for quite awhile. Teasing!
Njoy that heady scent!
Sally
Charlotte, I might as well chime in again, as my original post never did show up! I too love lilacs, who doesn’t? Their scent is my favorite for spring! It looks like Seattle and St. Louis are very much alike in what is now blooming. My azaleas are about ready, although some others are already blooming. Redbud is finished, but Dogwoods are in all their glory now. You need to send your wedding pictures to Jeanne!
I did comment about 20 minutes ago, but it said Jeanne was too slow to put it on! Hilarious, because I know Jeanne is still in bed. I will wait a bit to see if it does appear, and if not, will comment again.
I have a membership card to the Gardens. Would love to meet you there and enjoy the day together.
Gloria, that would be fun! Have you been there lately? Right now it is somewhat difficult to park with all the construction, but it will be wonderful after they finish! We ought to get together sometime and make it happen. We could have lunch there too! Stay tuned!
Linda is not only sharing these lovely pictures, it looks like she’s going to share her rain. Rumor (AKA the weather forecast) is now saying we’ll get rain next week. Since it has been promising without following through for weeks, I’ll believe it when and if it soaks me.
Denver has a botanical garden, which is lovely. There’s a huge grass amphitheater where an Asian Festival is held each year, with dancing, drumming, singing and other traditional performing arts — and food. The food booths are at the top of the slope. One year a breeze came over the top and down the hill. You could hear the crowd breathe deeply and whisper reverently a single word: “Garlic.”
Marilyn, I agree that the Denver botanical garden is quite spectacular, and I greatly admire what is done there for zero maintenance gardens as our Colorado River keeps shrinking. Have you been to the Denver Botanical with the Christmas lights? We did that this past December. I have never seen anything like it.
Hope your weather forecast is fruitful this coming week.
I would not only share the rain with you, Marilyn, but will gladly GIVE it to you! We have had too much, although at the moment the sun is out. However, every single day next week will have rain in there somewhere!
We have also been to the Denver Botanical Gardens and it is a lovely place to wander through. I do love botanical gardens, as if you didn’t know! That big basin is a fun place for kids to roll down! Even adults!
Thanks Linda & Jeanne for sharing those definitely springy photos. Should I ever make it to St. Louis, the garden will be on my site list. 🙂
As for May Day tomorrow, the dollies haven’t mentioned planning anything special. Looks like another sunny day. Darn. Maybe they will perform a rain dance? 🙂
Thank you, Joy! I’m glad it brightened your day! Oh, I do have a Maypole scene that I sent to Jeanne, so that’s what some of them are doing here. Did you get one set up?
Dear Linda,
Your pictures are absolutely stellar! Wow! Thanks so much to you and Jeanne for sharing these. A lovely way to start the day, and also lovely that it started with a very uplifting email from our somewhat estranged youngest granddaughter. And it’s her sister’s prom day, too. So grateful for all of this uplifting! 👏🙌
While we were in Amsterdam, we visited the Keukenhof which was at its peak for all of its blooms. We were there three years ago nearly at the end of the season. It is open only for 10 weeks out of the year. Then ALL of the bulbs and grass spaces are torn out and a new design made for the following year to keep folks coming back. They plant 7 million bulbs each season.
Anyway, YOU are a treasure for all the wonderful pics you so generously and thoughtfully share with us all. Thanks ever so much.
Happy May Day to you all.
Thank you Sally, for your kind words, that almost make me blush! I just thought it would be nice to share some of our spring flowers to all of you to brighten your days, and I’m glad it worked for you.
I can’t imagine tearing out all those bulbs and starting over each year! Wonder what they do with the used bulbs? A neighbor of ours did that every year, although he didn’t have thousands of bulbs, but he just threw them in the common area along a creek, and they have been blooming there for years. It is so pretty, and then you can have people paying top dollar for bulbs, planting carefully, and nothing happens!
Surprises all around us!
Beautiful pictures, Linda! Thank you for sharing them as we look forward to heading into May. Seems like this year is moving fast!
Jeanne, glad George is home and recovering!
Everyone, enjoy your weekend.
Thank you, Paula! Spring never ceases to amaze me after the long and dreary winter days! Can you believe in another month, we will be halfway through 2022?
Thankyou for sharing! Lovely!
You are very welcome, Joy!
Linda,
Tulips have never been as pretty as in your photos! Some of those big double ones are so lovely. There are many things blooming there that do not grow here so it it a real treat. Can I ask what is the tree blooming in pink? Amazing to see that many flowers on a tree. Thank you for going and taking such awesome pictures to make our Saturday such fun!
Kathie, if I’m not mistaken, I believe it is a flowering crabapple. Everything growing has a little sign in front of them with the name of the tree or plant, but I didn’t get a good look at this one, but I am sure it is a flowering crabapple. And those tulips are amazing! Not only do they have double but also triple ones, and some even look like roses! Thank you for the compliments!
Thank you for sharing all the beautiful pictures, Linda and Jeanne! It must have smelled lovely there!
Exciting times for us ahead. Marion’s Confirmation is May 1st. On May 2nd is our 13th Anniversary. May 3rd is the ultrasound! 🙂
We also used lilacs to decorate for the marriage reception.
Yes, it does smell heavenly there, Karen! It is so peaceful and calming walking among the flowers, streams and paths there, especially early in the morning when we usually go..
Yes, this is the season for Confirmations, First Communions graduations, AND anniversaries! Happy Anniversary to you! One couple in our church is celebrating their 74th anniversary in May! Imagine that! AND an ultrasound too for you! Let us know what you find out! Exciting times!
That is so nice that you get to enjoy it often! 🙂 Thank you! That is a very long time! I bet they were pretty young when they got married. Congratulations to them! Ok, I will have to share. Hopefully everything will be fine!
Karen, this is a huge few days for you ahead. Wishing you all joy and great news. ❤️
Thank you kindly, Sally! <3
Thank you for the tour, Linda. The flowers are beautiful. The duck/goose/swan fountain is really neat. Thank you for sharing the lovely scenery. I’ve missed going to the park conservatory here the past few years , especially for the butterfly exhibit. We also always went out to the Dawes Arboretum in another city and that was fun as well. My grandfather was offered the head position at Dawes in the late 1940’s when my mom was a young grade schooler, but turned it down as it would have taken him away from his sister and other family because two hours distance back then was huge. He was manager of a garden store instead and did all the ordering, tree grafting, etc.
Add me to the list of lilac lovers. i was out eyeing our two bushes the other day and can’t wait for them to bloom. The crabapples are in their full glory now as are the magnolias, azaleas. and weeping cherries. Coupled with the daffodils and tulips it is gorgeous.
We were able to be up in Michigan on Mackinac Island a couple of years when the island was having their lilac festival and all the island was in bloom. the scent was intoxicating.
Laura, I’ve always wanted to get to Mackinac Island during their Lilac Festival. I’ve been several times (I grew up in the U.P.), but never during lilac time. Mackinac Island does have a Facebook page, though, so they share pictures every year.
One year Ron and I were on a driving trip, and we stayed in Duluth, MN, overnight. We asked about a restaurant and were directed to one a couple of blocks away. Since it was a balmy evening (July 3rd or 4th, I think) we decided to walk. As we walked, I thought, “I smell lilacs! It can’t be lilacs–it’s July!” But a little further on, sure enough, there were the lilacs in full bloom! Duluth stays cold quite a while longer than Seattle does, so their blooming season starts later than ours! That year I got to enjoy lilacs twice, two months apart!!
Thank you Laura! Yes, those fountains are so pretty, and they have different ones scattered around the gardens. They are especially fun for young children in the hot summer months! They do have a Children’s Playground with all kinds of neat things to do , it since we don’t have children with us now, we never go to that part. It ins very popular for young families and grandparents too.
We also missed out going to the Garden during Covid, but then it was closed part of the time, and when it finally opened back up, you really couldn’t go just anywhere, but had to follow a path. It is now fully opened, but now they are doing a major construction of the main buildings, so that part is currently not open.
What an honor for your grandfather to be offered the head position at Dawes Arboretum. Even though he didn’t take it, I’m sure it was a wonderful memory for him.
It sounds like you are having the same blooming schedule as we are here. And another lilac lover! We are everywhere!
Dear Linda, what wonderful photographs! Thanks for taking us along with you.
Thank you, Dorothy! My dolls are dancing around the Maypole now! Happy May to you!
Dear Jeanne, happy May Day tomorrow! Wishing all of my Sofa Sisters a fun time dancing around the Maypole (even if it’s only imaginary – smile).