This and That

Here are the boxes behind the reception desk, which will soon disappear.

Here is where the new boxes will be.

I don't remember seeing these lovely iris in the pond on the way to fitness.

The water lilies always take center stage.

More construction.  This is the new bird blind on the picnic grove path.

First butterflies of June.  This is an azure,sitting on a rock, actually a small pebble.

A comma butterfly seen on the Loop Trail in the evening.

Is this a before or after photo?  It is the corner near the Community Center without the dead trees, and before the new landscaping is put in.

You never know who you might meet on the Loop Trail!

Peters Tract

Yesterday the residents of Foulkeways were invited to visit the grounds of the newly acquired Peters property.

Here is the entrance drive, and as you can see the day was overcast.

There are several structures on the property, including the main house.  As they are still occupied, we did not visit there.

The carriage house with its turret, interested everyone.

There also was a barn.

Many fences cross the property at different angles.

I walked into one field and took this photo which faced Foulkeways.

Then I took a photo in the other direction, looking east.

Foulkeways is behind the far line of trees.

Everyone enjoyed seeing these patches of iris growing in the fields.

White

This lovely yellow wood tree can be found in an Abington courtyard.  I wish we had another on campus.  

Here it is close up, but it is almost finished blooming.

I found it impossible to get a photo of this lovely fringe tree.

When I set out on my walk my goal was to get close to my 9000 steps a day, but I soon found that I was seeing white, as these lovely white water lilies.

These lovely white blackberries light up the woods.

I went to take a close up of the blackberry, and in flew a honey bee.

Even found a bumble bee on the blackberry.

The cornus kousa, or Kousa dogwood is always beautiful.

There are a few ox-eye daisy flowers in the meadow.  Pick as many as you want.

There is a field of daisies.

Not white.  This is the new deer fence that is around the grape vines and fruit trees.




















white

Mt. Cuba

Yesterday we took the Foulkeways bus to Mt. Cuba Center in Hockessin, Delaware, former home of the late Mr. and Mrs. Lammot du Pont Copeland.  It now covers 500 acres of natural lands, and demonstrates gardening on a higher level.

The Mountain Laurel guided us to the woodland path, where we saw many wonderful flowers, shrubs, and trees.

The yellow wood-poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum, was one of the first flowers to see.  

The native columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, grew in clumps in the shade.

This is the male fairy wand, Chamaelirum luteum, which was used by the Indians medicinally.

This is one I know as green and gold, Chrysogonum virginianum, a lovely shade plant that I have in my garden.

This wonderful turkey beard, Xerophyllum asphodebides, is only listed as native south of Pennsylvania.

A beautiful yellow lady slipper, Cypripedium parviflorum, was a delight to see.

We also saw the trial garden, and it is interesting to check out their web site to see the research that they are doing.

They even have some man-made shade gardens for research.

Our tour ended in the formal garden, where this sculpture is featured.

Behind the house, or in front, is this hedge of itea, where they once had a barberry hedge.  So beautiful today.

Bird stuff

A sight I had never seen before.  The male catbird fluffs out his feathers, points his beak to the sky and "dances" for the female.  He hops several times in one direction and then in the other.  It was great to watch this.

But the female didn't seem that impressed.

The first visitors, that I have seen on my new Viburnum, mating lady bug beetles.

The base is in place for the new bird blind.

While I was in the meadow this morning, the male bluebird was singing from several different perches.

But when I looked at the house, there was a tree swallow.

And this is what the birds are finding that is so yummy.  It fell on the road, but was soon gone.

Open House at the new H-8

The light is on to welcome us in to the newly redesigned H-8 apartment.

There is a large modern kitchen.

This is the living room, and you can see the refrigerator in the kitchen.

There is a built in closet just inside the front door.

There is a bedroom all the way in the back.

Off the bedroom is this large walk-in closet.  We have been urging them not to skimp on closets in the renovations.

The bathroom has a closet with a water heater.

Thee is a den with a window that looks out on the sunroom.

There is a second bath with washer and dryer, which the new residents have decided to make into another closet, thus it is a one bedroom-den apartment with sunroom.

Here is the sunroom, which makes this apartment magical.

And an extra heater and cooler for the sunroom.