WOMEN IN A GARDEN

When I think of Women in a Garden I ponder God's creation.

THE garden . . .  

the place where it all began.

I wonder if creators of the Naples Botanical Gardens had the same picture in mind.

naplesgarden.org

God, our Creator, the One with the fullness of creativity, created creation.

God's creation was given gifts to continue God's creativity in this world that God created for us.

A WOMAN

IN A GARDEN

She found a place to linger and stretch her ballerina legs,
A place of quiet contemplation as she prepares for her next dance.
An agile woman of elegance with majestic movement in her limbs..

A perfect place to enjoy God's creation surrounding the result of human creativity given to us by God.

She is ready for whatever greets her, standing tall and confident.

The artists of Zimbabwe were at the gardens, creating new pieces, when I visited the gardens.

 They find 'summer' places where the weather invites them.

I hear they have been in many botanical gardens all over the United States.

 What a wonder to enjoy their art before they move to another natural setting.

There were many creations but I choose to focus on the women in the garden.

  

Tall and sure, water pot in hand,
she is ready to conquer another day.
Her elongated beauty rests within.

I am awe struck by the foliage that naturally embraces these creations.

Shades of purple and chartreuse blend beautifully as they create

a blanket for this frolicking family, arms flung into the air.

Can you see papa and mama with the little ones?

FAMILY: a joy-filled day to embrace one's surroundings.

Mother and child.
Mother is dressed in her finest as she presents baby to the world.
FIREWORKS of bromeliads celebrate with her as they display
popping colors that sparkle in the sun.

The twirl of mother's fabric enhances her height.
A sad face?  I wonder.
What a beautiful child she carries through the shell-filled dune.
She almost seems engulfed by palms that squeeze close to her.
Sort of like life that presses in just a little too close.
I wonder if she is protecting her child from all the
pressing anxieties of life until the little one is
old enough to understand.

I wonder as I wander from open space to tight enclosures.
Life is like that, isn't it.
Sometimes I flourish in a sense of  freedom that allows me to twirl freely or linger longer in open spaces.
Sometimes the world presses in, like foliage growing too full and too close.
Sometimes life-breath gets sucked right out of me.
So I stand still.
       I Wait.
Then I take a deep breath.
And move to another, God-created, space.

"Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them," and it was so..."   Genesis 1:11

BOTANICAL GARDENS

I think it only fair that I write another blog to make up for the empty pages over the past several weeks.

This is especially exciting for me.

Botanical Gardens!
I love to visit them in every city possible.
I have been to many all over the world and all had some aspect that was spectacular.
These gardens I visited compared with the best in the world in my opinion.

That said, I am only a small-time gardener who knows little but I love the way gardens grab me and hold my attention for hours.
This was no exception.

For now I will offer a few pictures of the children's garden.

Children's drawings tell us more than the valuable information.
What a delight to see these in the Children's Garden.

This was just the right size for little ones.
Ponds and waterfalls invited children to linger in the water.

On a hot day this is a perfect place to dangle toes and cool a bit.

Chalk art depicts the 'flora' around the path.
Chalk is offered for all ages and tends to remain in tact on busy walkway.

Creative and fun

I saw more adults than children climb the pathway to the treehouse.

My Crocs give you an idea of the size of leaves along the pathways.
These were actually pressed into the concrete as it was setting.
Permanent 'fossils' of every size are scoped out by the kids.

This was an inviting overlook for the entire children's garden.

Loved this herb garden just the right size for little ones.

Notice the flowered arch.  Too small for me.  Brooms are inside the house for children to 'sweep it clean.'

This industrious little girl filled the watering can at the hand pump and
diligently began to water flowers.  "Is it OK for me to water these, daddy?"
Of course!  That's why they had lots of plastic watering cans for the kids.
I loved the tropical plants mingling with ones I could plant up north in the summer.

Art was everywhere in the gardens.
The children could sit on this if they wanted.
Everything was touchable  . . . a delight for the children.

I love this succulent.  Have no idea what it is but doesn't it make you laugh!

Of course they grew vegetables almost the size of the kids.
One might think all energy was focused on the children's garden.
This is only the beginning!

This was totally my favorite part of the children's garden.
  It was an area set apart for whimsey planters one might
 have thrown away.  That's one large Campbell's soup can.

Who says dad's old golf shoes are useless?

I knew I should not have thrown that old racket away . . . or the snorkel and flippers I never used.
A simple corrugated fence or back of a garage and voila!

Bags, purses and pot people!
I laugh because last year I painted two old rocking chairs that looked like this.
I should have simply put them in my garden and filled them with pots.
I guess I can still do that but now they are too nice!

What fun!

Here is another pump for children.
She was working so hard and did not have a bucket.
Is this a trailing geranium?  Looks like it gets plenty of water.

God's creation is so awesome that I can't help but think of the following scripture:

"Since what has been known about God is plain to everyone because God made it plain to everyone.  For since the creation of the world God's infinite qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen by what He has made."   Romans 1:20

How can anyone not think of God after wandering through such beauty created by our creative God and by the humans that God created!

That's just what it feels like in the CHILDREN'S GARDEN of the Botanical Gardens in Naples, Florida.     Naples Botanical Gardens

LINGERING TOO LONG

I guess I lingered too long after I went South for a few weeks in February.

I loved this shot of the ship on the weathervane.

It's been a MONTH since I last wrote!
Time flies when waaaaaaaay too busy.

My sweet hubby sends me South each year so that I can warm my bones.
He loves the cold winter days so remains at home.
This was an extra long time of separation for both of us but he insisted that I spend ample time warming up.

Of course I arrived in the midst of a COLD rain storm.
It took several days to warm up but when it did, I was in LOVE with the weather.
Light pants, my baseball cap and my T-shirt were all I needed.
I was in heaven.

Lots of these huge homes.  Love 'em all.
This reminds me of a huge, pink house I loved
when I lived in Aspen, Colorado many years ago.

I jaunted forth for the 'visits' which I wrote about last time.
Then I returned to dad's abode to begin closing it down.
The weather cooled down to the point where I needed to wear several layers.
Red Tide kept me away from the beach.
These 'circumstances' allowed me to clear away thirty years of winter living at dad's condo.

Reason:
Dad decided, after receiving a pacemaker at 98, that it was not good to be alone for the winter months he spends in Florida.
Dad opted to return to his favorite city up North and stay inside until the harsh winter weather turns to Spring.

I couldn't help taking a shot of the condo (backwards)
as I captured myself in the mirror.  Notice the layers
 of clothes I wore INSIDE!
 It was great 'working' weather.

He is much healthier now as loving caretakers make sure his every need is met.

He is especially excited to have others do the cooking for him.
Needless to say, dad is gaining weight.
He still does his workout after breakfast and lunch and manages to read the Wall Street Journal daily.  What a guy.

And so I cleaned and patched and painted and caulked his condo and gave as much to family as they chose.

Most important, I managed to see friends and family.

I squeezed in dinner and lunch with friends as well as gatherings and chat over coffee.

I took time to visit old haunts and was warmly welcomed at the two churches where I was employed.

This reconnection boosted my spirit and warmed my heart with memories that will forever remind me of the twelve years we lived in the area.

This lingering time will keep me content up north until summer pierces through chilly winter days.

Ibis feed in the yard after a day of drizzle.

Time was too short to do everything on my list.
But, the condo looks sparkly fresh.

And so I lingered on the beach on a day the Red Tide did not aggravate my lungs too much.

No swimsuits this day but the warm sun melted away much of the chilly air.

I watched others, smiled at frantic birds, soaked in the sea air and breathed as deeply as I dared.

NICE

A German family walked over to the beach ahead
of me.  I loved the little girl who frolicked in the
 sand on this chilly day.   Red Tide was not too bad.

Tracks in the sand.  I love shells but this was even better.