Mosaic Monday: Cross Gardens, Part II

Please forgive me for posting some photos and running, but my right hand is still giving me trouble, and I find that I can't really type too long before it starts to ache.  So here are some more photos from the Cross Estate Gardens, near my home in New Jersey.  Enjoy!

Here are the instructions to join today's post:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.net

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Mosaic Monday: Cross Gardens

It's a rainy, rainy day here in New Jersey, and I'm not complaining in the least.  We need the rain badly.   On Friday it was beautiful and sunny, and I paid a visit to one of my favorite area gardens -- the Cross Estate Gardens in nearby Bernardsville.  The gardens are now a part of the National Park Service, and administered in conjunction with the New Jersey Historical Garden Foundation.  Included are a wisteria covered pergola, a formal walled garden and a native plant garden.  The estate began life as part of the "Mountain Colony" of grand summer retreats for wealthy tycoons looking to escape the heat of New York City.

The house was originally built in 1905 by John A. Hensel, and was called Queen Anne Farm.  In addition to the house, there was a carriage house, a gatehouse and a stone water tower.  In 1929 it was purchased by Redmond Cross, whose wife, Julia Newbold Cross, was a member of the Royal Horticultural Society.  Together with Clarence Fowler, a noted landscape architect, Mrs. Cross made extensive improvements to the garden.

Today I am showing you just a few photos from the native plant garden.  The approach to the garden is through a tunnel of green mountain laurel, and when you open the gate, you are faced with the colorful contrast of a purple redbud tree surrounded by a sea of bright yellow leopard's bane.  It is nothing short of stunning.  The purple and yellow theme is continued by a great sweep of mountain phlox punctuated by yellow marsh marigolds.  Deep green mayapples provide a visual rest from all that color.

I have many more photos to share later in the week.  Wait till you see the formal garden.  ;)  I have to stop typing (and photo-editing) now, though, because my right hand is killing me.  Arthritis, I guess.  :(

Here are the instructions to join today's post:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.net

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Mutability

First of all, I apologize with all my heart. As if you hadn't already had enough books, enough flowers, enough ranunculi, enough red... (That's the plural of ranunculus, I swear to God.)

But truly, these flowers have gotten under my skin, carved out a place in my heart and captured my soul.

(How corny is that?!) I do love them, though.

And secondly, I apologize for the length of this post. Well, for the amount of photos anyway. I went a little crazy shooting these beauties. I know because I've been photographing them for the better part of two weeks.

(How's that for getting your money's worth from a supermarket bouquet?)

Try as I might, I just couldn't bring myself to throw them out as they started to fade. And I think that they are just as beautiful now, with their crushed silken petals falling, as when they first graced my vase.

I've already confessed a weakness for old books, and for poetry too. I found this book of English poetry in a thrift store a few years back. It was missing it's cover, but I loved the title page and the crumbling leather binding. And I have a soft spot for the Romantic poets, especially Keats, Byron and Shelley.

"The flower that smiles today

Tomorrow dies;

All that we wish to stay,

Tempts and then flies..."

In a strange and totally unplanned way, I guess that mutability or change is the deeper subject of these images. Despite having been an English major, I'm not good with words; certainly I cannot craft a sentence that could rival Shelley's. But I'm at a time in my life when I often feel as though everything I have known for as long as I can remember has suddenly changed.

And that can be a crazy, scary feeling.

Like everyone else from my generation, I guess I'm feeling old, like a well-worn book or a flower that's losing petals.

But these things teach us that there is a certain beauty and dignity in age. After all, with age comes wisdom. (At least one hopes it does.)

And I am truly grateful to be living a life of contentment, with the ones I love most in all the world.

Do you see the little heart in the last photo? I ♥ books and flowers, my children, my husband, and you, my dear friends.

Long may we see the beauty in everything around us.

xoxo

Mosaic Monday: A Few of My Favorite Things

I think that one of the nicest things about this little internet world we all belong to is the fact that we can find so many friends who share our interests. Before blogging, I'm not sure that I knew any friends who loved books, flowers and photography.

Now I'm sure that some of you will see this post and say "Me, too!"

The books here are antiques that were collected by my parents. The two vintage cameras belonged to my parents as well. The roses were from the supermarket a while back. I always love to let my roses dry out. I think the combination of old books and dried roses is a very evocative and emotional one -- conjuring images of days reading poetry while dreaming of lost love...

Do you think maybe I've read too many romantic novels? ;)

Here are the instructions to join today's post:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.net

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Albert Hadley and Red Ranunculus

I've spent my week in thrall to a flower. Truly.

I've seen so many beautiful photos of ranunculus, and have always wanted to shoot some. Until this past week, I was never able to find any in the places I normally shop for flowers. I suppose I could have asked a florist to order some for me, but that seemed like too much trouble.

Finally, I stumbled across some at a nearby supermarket. First I bought some white ones. You can see those pictures here, and here.

Then I went back and got some red ones. :)

I love all the pale interiors that are popular right now, with grey walls and seagrass rugs and white linen slipcovers. Alas, my home is not one of them.

So I guess I have to play to my strengths, and embrace my inner red.

After all, just because it's not in all the design magazines right now doesn't mean that it's not beautiful.

I've been reading the biography of American designer Albert Hadley, who died recently. While I'm sure he would have shuddered at my pine panelling, he might just have approved of my red ranunculus. ;)

So I guess I'll keep dreaming of grey walls and white slips, and surround myself with red. :)

Mosaic Monday: Instagram Easter

Somehow the week got away from me, and I woke up yesterday morning wondering if anybody was planning on doing Mosaic Monday because of Easter. So this is a very last-minute post! I have been addicted to Instagram for the past week, so I've gathered a few of my Instagram photos here. If you are on Instagram, look for me: mrcphotography.

The church you see here is the Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church, a beautiful old church in our town. The rest of the pictures were taken on walks in our neighborhood park. The violets grow wild in our lawn. :)

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Here are the instructions to join today's post:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.net

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Mosaic Monday: Spring at Willowwood Arboretum

I wanted to share a few more photos from Willowwood Arboretum here today. Approaching the garden, there is a long driveway that winds through gently rolling hills. All along the edge of the road, the grass is studded with purple crocus. They are a charming little taste of what is to come.

The garden itself is divided into several areas. One of the wilder parts of the garden is made up of a path that meanders through the trees at the back of the house. Later in the spring, there will be a host of colorful primroses lining the path. Here is one of the first ones -- a tiny gem of purple flowers. The little stone bridge pictured above spans a small brook.

And look who was enjoying the garden as well -- a lovely bluebird!

Just a few notes on the mosaics here: You can find the templates for these mosaics at Florabella Collection. The pretty floral paper used in one of the mosaics is from Sarah Gardner, found here.

Here are the instructions to join today's post:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.net

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.