The Green Bay Botanical Gardens

Vanderperren English Cottage Garden

One of the last things I had the chance to do before leaving Wisconsin was visit the Green Bay Botanical Gardens!! My brother and sil(sister in law) invited us to these gardens for watching their puppies while they were in Minnesota.  

Purple and White Allium Themed Space

It was a steamy hot day but there was plenty of shade for us to cool off.  And once we got started on the various paths, we saw lots of beautiful color arrangements.

An older Question Mark Butterfly

Now I don't know if this was intended or not, but it really felt like I was walking through the Shire from Lord of the Rings.  I love how every region in the states has their own take on gardening.  People in Wisconsin love their hostas and flowers:)  I can't tell you how many types of hostas there are because there are like......a billion.  But if you love hostas, and who doesn't?, go visit Cheesehead Gardening.  The Hostanerd will tell you everything you need to know.  She even has a post on one particular hosta known as "Captain Kirk".  Yes, hostas are like roses are like succulents are like cacti....and then there are the iris fans.....well you get the idea.  Back on the path.....

Pink Asters

I spotted lots of wonderful themes throughout the gardens and they were absolutely splendid.

Mary Hendrickson Johnson Wisconsin Woodland Garden

My nephew loved capturing things.  Again boys will be boys.  But I had a chat with him about being careful picking something up like a toad or a frog.  Be gentle.  Don't carry them with you.  And put them back in the same spot you found them etc etc etc.  I was like this as a kid and today I would never pick anything up unless it was in danger, but kids have to touch touch touch.  And maybe that's a good thing.  Perhaps they will be the next shephards to watch over and care for our environment.  Nurturing our youth and promoting knowledge about the environment is extremely important in this day and age.  This year I've had 3 explorers with us....my niece, a friend's son, and of course, my own nephew during a couple outings.  And I've got to say this, they spot EVERYTHING!!!  They are good little detectives.  I'm so blind sometimes.  Maybe I do need to have kids:)?  But then again.....

Here is one of my brothers(below) with my nephew.  He's a good man and really wants to become a father.  No luck yet, but maybe soon. 

The important part is to just enjoy the paths we've all been given.  And like this post suggests, these were the kinds of conversations we were having throughout the walk.  Well and lot's of that family joking around:)

 And along the way, here are some things that grabbed my attention.....

12 Spotted Skimmer

 The Dragonflies around Wisconsin are stunning.

Look at this fun Butterfly Garden! I say fill that with lots and lots of succulents!

Lollipop Purle Allium

 The colors of purples and reds and whites and pinks and yellows and oranges and.....

Gertrude B. Nielsen Children’s Garden

 .....the designs........

......areas for kids to have fun......

John & Janet Van Den Wymelenberg Color & Foliage Garden

 .....and places to grab shade from the heat and humidity.

 These are also places to take cheesy family photos.  James Bond.

 ....and how does our youth today feel about older adults?  Do we really smell?

Red Flower Carpet shrub rose

.....and of course the themed gardens.

The Green Bay Botanical Gardens is a real treat for plant enthusiasts around the world.  7 dollar admission.  Here's their link for more info. Hope you enjoyed the tour. And of course more tomorrow....

Fantasmas

My one artsy abstract. 

"Bec come over here and check out these orbs!", said my mother to my sister.  As a curious observer of all things, I brought my camera with me out to the place where my Grandfather died over 25 years ago.  I didn't know what to expect but the homeowners of my Grandparents old house reported seeing an older man in a T-shirt walking out near where my Grandpa died. These were the clothes he wore when he passed.  Apparently, the homeowner can see "ghosts" and one night, without ever having seen my Grandfather, described him in perfect detail to a friend of a friend in the very small village of Shoto.   Word came to my family that a ghost had been visiting the house several times over the past few months during mid afternoon. 

The old shed he tried to pull down is still there.  Sadly, he had a massive heart attack at the young age of 57 in the middle of this project.  It was my first lesson about death and it changed my life forever.  I was graduating 8th grade and Grandpa planned a secret graduation party for me with my parents.  In fact, while I was at graduation, Grandpa was helping decorate the house.  When I came home, everyone said, "SURPRISE!" and I smiled because my Grandpa was a part of it all.  I loved him very much.  Little did I know, it would also be the last time I would ever see him again.  The next day, I left for Arizona for the first time in my life and stayed in Flagstaff for the summer.  These would be my first steps into the deserts, mountains and canyons.   And so 2 major events happened that summer.  In June, my aunt received a call that her father(my Grandpa) died.  I went into shock and went upstairs.  I didn't cry.  I just sat by the bed stunned.  So my aunt and everyone else packed the van and left Arizona for Wisconsin to attend my Grandfather's funeral.   Holidays would never be the same.  Today I hold his wedding ring as a reminder that he has never been forgotten.

I love this pic.  In the middle is my mother with a brother and sister on the side.

So when the word was out that Grandpa was back, many of our family members jumped in the car late at night and chased a ghost.  I'm not sure I believe in them.  I know many people who claim that they've seen them.  Part of me was scared.  Another skeptical.  And the other part of me was happy.  What if it were true?  What if Grandpa came back for Grandma(my last living Grandparent)?  What would I do if I saw an orb?  What if I saw Grandpa?  What would I do?  So we grabbed our gear out of the car and went to the site of my Grandpa's death. Some of you right now might be saying, "Creepy."  Yeah just a little:)  In the car, everyone was excited but once we got to the area, everyone was a little quiet:)  The new homeowners told us it was okay to walk around the woods and river.   I told you a story about fireflies awhile back and I wondered if they were still there. And if anything made me smile, it was the fact that "my" fireflies were still flying around the swamp area at night.  I felt like a little kid again.  I took my camera out and began shooting into the night sky....

Mosquitoes reflecting light, fireflies, or orbs?  You decide.

"Bec come over here and check out these orbs!", said my mother to my sister.  Now, I have to tell you all.  I'm not sure they were orbs at all but rather the million flying mosquitoes that wanted human flesh that night.  The bites were bad. But here is a shot(above) that didn't seem to capture all the bugs. The light on my camera probably just reflected off the particles.   However my mother claimed to capture orbs during one moment (and there were shots that did look convincing). My brother and I just joked that it was a cloud of bugs.  But Mom believed that it was him.  And who am I to say anything?  I've never lost a parent.  Wouldn't we all want to see our loved ones again?  If for just one moment?  I never saw my Grandfather that night but it doesn't mean that he isn't out there.   I don't know anything.  I'm still learning in this crazy life of ours.   

My nephew walking down the dyke to find his Great Grandpa.

My nephew really wanted to come with us but he would have been scared.  So I brought him out the next day.  He said, "Uncle Chris, you only see ghosts at night."  And I responded, "Then why has your Great Grandpa been seen in the middle of the day?"  So he took the journey for himself to see if he could see Great Grandpa. But as kids normally do, they forget what the original purpose of the walk is all about.....and he ended running from the mosquito attacks:)

My father has claimed seeing a ghost.  My brothers have claimed seeing ghosts.  I have never seen anything like this. Do they exist?  I don't know.  Maybe.  I'm cynical about everything  but I'm not closed off to the possibilities that ghosts do/can exist.  Maybe you've seen one?  Personally, I'm still searching for the Elegant Trogan:)  Well even if I didn't see my Grandfather, it was still fun being with my family and returning to the place that we used to explore as kids.  And it was wonderful seeing the young little trees turn into massive mature trees today.  Oh...and fireflies! I wish I had a million dollars to buy up these properties. They are absolutely gorgeous with the rivers, swamp, and forested areas.  But I live in Tucson:)  And that's okay.  For now, I only have the stories that a man came to visit his former house.  The person could see him and describe what he looked like.  Her dogs wouldn't go near the areas while he was "present".  And while I still didn't see him, it's still comforting to know that maybe it's true.  You never know.  And like my detective mind always says to me on my hikes, "What if?"

Eyes Wide Open

Dahlinova

I have to share a funny story with you.  Plus I thought it would be fun to connect all of these pics together.  But before I begin, I found this hot little number in my parents potted flower garden.  It's called Dahlinova and had me constantly staring at it.  Pretty nice flower in mostly shade.  In fact, they looked almost fake.  People would keep touching them telling my parents, "Nice fake flowers!" And then my parents would yell, "Stop touching those flowers, they're not fake."  The other people would then respond, "oh!" and stop pulling off the flower petals.  Good times:)  So let's begin our story.  Picture it.  Wisconsin Dells.  Lady on the boat sharing her story about gardening in Wausau, Wisconsin. 

She was working out in her garden on her roses and many other flowers.  I imagined her place having a gazebo with these hot numbers all around.  She's humming to herself a hobbit tune like most of us do as we work in the garden.

All around her were birds and bunnies.  She's happy and they're happy.  It's like Snow White...but without the 7 dwarves.

She's working on transplanting all her fantastic Wisconsin flowers that I cannot grow in my Tucson garden.  I keep the envy to myself.

Afterall the desert is an amazing place and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, but I do miss all the pretty blooms and blossoms of the midwest.  But her singing and planting flowers cease and her story turns into a scary moment.  I listen intently.  She hears that grunting and scratching......and no...it's not her husband.

Chipping Sparrow

And she freezes.  A black bear comes out of the woods and digs around a tree stump near her garden. It eventually leaves and I'm still listening. Wow!!!  I had forgotten about black bears, foxes, skunks, et al.  "How cool is that?!!!!", I say outloud.  She just laughs and says it happens often around her area.  But this is shocking to me.....Central Wisconsin?!?!  That's awesome!  Black bear are fine unless there are cubs involved.  The cubs love to play with people and they are adorable.  But momma bear doesn't like this and that's when they can be dangerous.  I wonder if Momma bear was trapped and relocated and she replies, "Nope.  They're okay as long as they don't attack people."  And I thought to myself, right on Wisconsin.   End of story.

Now I'm not sure I would want to encounter a black bear while landscaping just like I don't like finding snakes hiding around my pots here in Tucson.....but hey, after the heebie jeebies pass me by, I think I would be happy to see one pass by.....just stay out of the garbage and don't overstay the visit:)

And on a more positive note.  Did you know that Mountain Lion and Black Bear populations are slowly coming back to Wisconsin?  That's good news for most people.  Now if they could get that Lynx to return back in the numbers from the early 20th century....

And my last thought here.  Are the numbers increasing because more people are staying indoors and eating cheese nips and playing video games?  Is the American or world population not as active as it once was outdoors? You should see my waist line expanse:)  Does less human traffic equal an increase in wildlife numbers?  Or are we doing a better job preserving land around our country?  Because our wildlife numbers never used to be like this while I was growing up.  Can we blame the Atari generation for the downfall of outdoor activity? Just stuff I think about. How's that for random?:) More tomorrow....

A Day At The Beach

People think that the desert gets hot in the summer, but I have to admit, it gets pretty nasty in the Great Lakes region as well.  The humidity is of course the factor.  The saving grace about my hometown?  Lake Michigan.  A lot of people don't have air conditioning in their homes, but many of us can head out to the beach which is 20 degrees cooler!!!  It's amazing how cool it gets along the shoreline.

So the family went out and spent the day at the beach.  All of my nephews and nieces ran up and down the beach while the adults sipped on cool refreshments making sure the kids didn't kill themselves. 

And that's no easy feat!  Our family is large.  I can barely remember all their names sometimes.  As I write this particular post tonight, my youngest sister gave birth to a little baby boy at 6:10 PM!  Pretty exciting.  Welcome William!!!  She was VERY round when we went to visit. 

I have 12 nephews and nieces now.  Oh and someday they will have kids.....how will I keep track of them all?

Two Rivers is a beautiful little town during the summer and fall months.  I absolutely LOVE Wisconsin during the fall. 

Okay,  I couldn't help it.  I laughed so hard.  There were some Indian tourists visiting and it was like this major photo shoot on the beach.  Then these guys walked behind this fellow and I had to snap a pic.  The two of us were both going to town with our cameras and my sister had a good laugh.

But here's the important part of this post today.  These kids will grow up quickly and each moment is so important to capture on film. I've already gone through one generation of children....my Mexican nieces.  They are nearly 20 years old!!!  I remember when I was their age now and discovering Mexico for the first time!!  When did they grow up??!!!  I have pics of them when they were little....and now one of them is a mother!!!  I'm hoping to get to Mexico in October.  It will be good to catch up with the "other" family.

And of course while all of this was going on, a swallowtail was puddling along the beach.  My family laughed and said, "So you got your required wildlife shot in there:)"  My birder friends probably wonder where the seagull shots are......well I have to admit something to you all.  I think seagulls are cool birds to see fly around but I grew up with them and they really don't do anything for me.  I try to include them in pictures when I can......like the one below, but you won't find me blogging about them too much:)

There's the seagull right there.  They're considered the cockroaches of our city. Look at this bird eye up the patch of clothes left on the beach.  This bird grabbed something here and took off.  I watched it all happen. Hopefully it wasn't anything important.   They are very clever birds and what I'd like to call opportunistic.  This bird is symbol of my town.  We are also home to the Ice Cream Sundae.

My sister is helping Kellan out.  Absolutely adorable kid!

And then there's this little guy below!!!  Look at that goober in the sunglasses!  That's Liam and he's discovered his reflection in Mom's sunglasses.  I had a good laugh watching him giggle and make faces at himself.

It was a nice break from the heat and humidity.  There are times that I wish Tucson had something like this close by for an escape.  The closest we have is Mt. Lemmon and that's about an hour away:) I have finished summer school and will have 3 more weeks of vacation which means I'll be able to hit the trails again!!! I have more hummingbirds to find:)  More tomorrow...

West of the Lake Gardens

I lived on the lakeshore for many years.  And yet, I had never visited this garden.  There's not a lot of advertisement for it.  It's just there.  A garden that is protected and maintained from funds set up by the late Ruth and John West.    It's free and a great place for pictures and a short stroll.

It's strange really to see a place like this in town.  The structure, type of plants used, and design all reminded me of things we used to see in the 70's and 80's in older people's gardens around our neighborhood.   It was clean and well kept BUT it felt like we went back in time to the 1950's

But there is no denying the beauty of a rose.  Ageless.  And so many of them here at the gardens!!!

This 6-acre estate of the late Ruth and John West was created in 1934 and features a rose garden, Japanese, sunken and formal gardens, with more than 900 feet of herbaceous borders with colorful annuals. The gardens are located along Lake Michigan's shoreline and the new Mariners Trail.

If there was an event, this would be a great place to host one! So how does a memory like this get preserved?

The groundskeeper, who is very friendly, helped us out with several questions I had. But check out this interview from the Wisconsin Gardener.  "We are privately owned and operated by the West Foundation. It's a philanthropy that John and Ruth had set up back in the 1950s. I've been fortunate enough to be here. I help design the gardens, is what I do. And John West's contribution to all of this was his picture taking. There's a slide library that I'm able to refer to. That is where I get a lot of my ideas and enthusiasm as far as putting this garden together."

While you're in the garden, look for all the fun wildlife hiding out on the sidelines.

Look closely at this piece of succulent art.   Can you spot the flash of color?

The gardens are open from 10 AM to 5 PM daily.....weather permitting.  Admission is free.

And check out these views!  If you like today's post, you may want to check out Gardens at Waters East.  It's a fantastic blog with similiar views from the same area....just East:)  Hopefully, one of these days I'll have some time to meet up with this fellow blogger.  I have a big family back home and so I have limited time for these little adventures:)

The colors in the garden are lovely.  And again I'm reminded of my youth.  This color found in the fountain reminds me of the pier and cabin color at my Grandparent's old cabin in Minnesota.  I don't see this blue often.  The gardens use a lot of blues and pinks in the various areas.  I enjoy how these succulents have a pink tinge to them and contrast nicely with the blue of the bird bath.

This is perfection below.  Look at the tiny detail of the plantings.  It's like fancy icing on a cake.

And of course, we have a little fun with photography as well.  Here, King Tuzigoot goes crazy.  Apparently the weather along the lake is right up his alley.   Those Arizona summer days can be quite daunting!  Hope you enjoyed the tour. 

Thank you Jill from Welcome To....

Yesterday I was awarded the Blog on Fire Award which is a cool sounding name especially since I'm coming from the desert:) And the rules state that I must write 8 things unknown about me. Okay, let me try this out.

1.  Sometimes I'll blast pop music when I'm home alone and just dance.  I don't know where the energy comes from.....

2. I get bored with routines, but if I don't follow them, I get antsy.

3.  I'd be a night owl because I like the evenings....especially during monsoon season. 

4.  Sometimes I dream about space travel.  I'd give my life for exploration. I'd love to volunteer on that first Mars mission.

5.  I wish I could be a teacher, park ranger, librarian, director of photography and film, and travel guide all at once.

6.  If I could time travel, I'd go to Egypt or the age of the dinosaurs.

7. I bite my nails(really bad habit).

8.  I crave taco salads.

Hope you have a great day.  Thanks for stopping by!  More tomorrow....

That Stubborn Patch of Rhubarb

Here's a story.  It's not even a long story with great pics, but one that merits telling.  Yesterday you met my last living Grandparent. And while my Grandparents have passed from my father's side, I still make the journey to their old home when I get the chance.  A lot of things have changed in their neighborhood.  Several years ago, I told you the story about overeating the pears in my Grandparent's garden and also mentioned that stubborn patch of rhubarb that grew in their garden.  I went back to their old property to see if that patch of rhubarb was still there.

This used to be prairie land. A little wetlands was found in the middle of this road.  Now it's ugly little boxes.

The new owner wasn't home and we didn't trespass, but I knew a way to get to the very far backyard and check out what was growing since my Grandmother's passing in 2009.   I was shocked to see what they've done to the prairie/wetland behind their house on this visit!!!  As a kid growing up, we played in the fields behind their house and went to the little stream/pond area that was full of critters.  I tried to navigate the area from memory on these roads through the maze of homes.  Almost every single piece of this large area was covered with suburbia and it broke my heart.  The days of the wild pheasants are over.  They used to roam this area freely and lived in a secret wooded area that very few knew about.  Most people have forgotten that the pheasant used to live in this neighborhood but my memory is long.  Today people denied they ever existed.  While not native to Wisconsin, they used to be numerous in most of the state.  Due to wetland loss, predators, etc, this bird is sadly declining in numbers.  They estimate less than 200,000 of these birds now in the wild around the state. Source 

This is the only area untouched.  A lot full of trees.  It was also home to the many pheasant that roosted in the branches of these trees.  This is very cool discovery and like the sign says..."Private Property, Don't Trespass"  Witches and owls live here I think.

So much has been destroyed for housing development.  Even some of the native grasses and prairie flowers cannot be found anymore in most of the area!!!  But I am a stubborn German and parked the car.  Again, never trespassing, I found the old overgrown trail we used to take as kids to get to and from different areas.  I walked remembering old haunts and there were still a few patches of authentic grasses here and there.  This old trail was kind of like the neutral zone between development and the older homes.  Yeah....I was a bit sad.

Eventually we made it my Grandparent's former home.  When they were alive so many years ago, they held the biggest and largest garden a person has ever seen!!!  Oh the vegetables and fruits!!!  But I remember my Grandparents always complained about the Rhubarb that decided to grow in their garden.  They tried to remove it and mowed it down. But it was stubborn and always came back.  Grandpa had even tried to dig it up.  Eventually they let it grow and incorporated it into their garden.  No more fighting.  The Rhubarb would grow into beautiful leafy plants.  When the stalks were red, they were chopped down and made into strawberry/rhubarb pie. It is still one of my favorite pies out there....next to blueberry and pumpkin pie:) And so it would be, every year the rhubarb would come back like clockwork.

Dead trees between the development and old path.  With their water supply cut off, they are now a grim reminder of the past.

They may be gone, but I will always honor their memory and visit when I get the chance.  Grandpa was a groundskeeper and master gardener.  I do not exaggerate when I say their very large backyard was a masterpiece of work and art. They even had an Alaskan totem pole at the entrance to a wooden gate that had grape vine growing over it.  Grandpa even lined a stone path with ferny plants between the walk to give it a woodsy feel.  He was the first to go and so Grandma for many years maintained the area with help from my Uncle and Dad.  We also came out to help.  But the garden area would disappear.  However most of the plants and hanging flowers would still be kept up.  Grandma would still have her Geraniums and other plants brought down into the basement to be wintered until it was safe to put them back outside again.  The one constant in the universe that never changed was that patch of rhubarb.  She would still go out and collect it.  She'd even laugh about how that darn patch would keep coming back. 

The backyard today.  It was more than this at one point.  Grandpa took the yard and split it into two spaces creating a landscape worthy of a magazine cover.

And then Grandma would leave us.  What would happen to her home?  Would the owner do something drastic to the beautiful backyard that went on forever?  Well here is my report.  The owner has cut down everything and left it flat. It's not too drastic but the yard could use a little magic.  The old wooden fence and totem pole are obviously no longer there.  Some of the old growth is present and some of it has been chopped down.  The land area is still the same but suburbia is now knocking on their backyard lines.  It's rather disturbing.  And that stubborn patch of Rhubarb?

Well, it's still growing! My faith restored.  Of course the entire backyard has been mowed down and there is nothing there.  It looks like they tried to get rid of the Rhubarb as well....but the Rhubarb wasn't having any of that:)  Maybe she'll find the time and make some of that great strawberry rhubarb pie like my grandparents did.  But most of all, I think the rhubarb represents hope here....hope that some things will remain true even though the world is changing around us.

And so we walked that grassy path back to our car........