Monday, December 08, 2014

A Weekend in Williamsburg: Gardens

You know from my posts this spring and summer that I like to garden.  But right now you're shaking your head at me and saying, "Um, Hamlette... it's the wrong season for gardening.  It's pretty much winter.  I know you live in Virginia, but...."  And you're right, it's not exactly prime gardening season.  But remember that over Thanksgiving weekend, it got up into the 60s in Williamsburg, so the gardens were still interesting!  As you can see.

First some shots of the garden beside the gunsmith:

A ginormous rosemary bush

How ginormous?  That's Sam, my 7-year-old.
Cabbages, IIRC
Broccoli

A butterfly landed on the broccoli blooms.
I'd never seen a broccoli going to seed before -- their flowers are so dainty!
Um... no idea what this is.  My brain says "bachelor's buttons," but I think it's making that up.
Next are just a couple shots from the Colonial Garden along Duke of Gloucester Street where you can buy gardening supplies, produce, seeds, and so on.  I bought a big straw gardening hat there once.  And when Sam was really little, he got to help water plants there.


I love wattle fences like that.  And look, mini green houses over some of the plants!
These are from some gardens behind the weaving and spinning shop, I think:




I kind of have a thing for white picket fences and gates, so here are just a few other shots I grabbed at random:






One post left, the one devoted to Christmas wreaths :-D  Soon!

8 comments:

  1. The flowers are bachelor's buttons. :) Have you even been here in early spring when everything is blooming? Incredible! :)

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    1. I don't think I've been there in early spring -- my dad's conferences were almost always in the fall, so when I was a kid, that's when we went there. I've seen all the trees turned gorgeous fall colors, though! And I was there in the summer a few years ago. There were quite a few flowers blooming then, but I'm sure spring is better.

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  2. Lovely pictures! That last one with the hedge and the gate combined is soooo unique. :) Beautiful.

    Also, we had friends in western Washington who had a big rosemary bush like that at their old house and I absolutely loved it---so gorgeous when it was all in bloom with delicate blue. They've moved from that house now, and I've tried growing it myself a couple times out here, but haven't been very good about even keeping my little starts alive---but maybe someday I'll have a big bush. It's a dream. ;) Also, some other friends of ours from Arizona told me that they use rosemary as a general hedging/landscaping plant out there and I thought that was pretty intriguing.

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    1. Isn't that gate-and-raised-hedge cool? I wanted to stop and see how they did that, but I snapped that picture while we were on our carriage ride, and never walked past it again.

      I've only ever seen rosemary in containers before, so I had no idea it could grow that big! And wouldn't it be cool as a hedge? So fragrant.

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  3. Oh! And a quick note.... The flowers are "pinks." It's a general name in the Dianthus family, which is huge (ranging from Sweet William to the carnations you see at the store to more stalky wildflowers). If you look them up on Wikiipedia or Google images there are literally tons and tons and tons of cultivars. I've grown Bachelor's Buttons in the garden for a couple years and here's a link to a post I did with a picture (if you scroll down a little ways ;)).

    I hope that all made sense! :)

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    1. Okay! The fringey ends must be what made me think of bachelor's buttons. Thanks!

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  4. I love Williamsburg! I've only been a handful of times and it remains one of my favorite places to visit. I have decided that the gardens are lovely no matter what time of year it is! The folk who take care of the lawns and gardens and flowers and everything that grows plant-wise do an amazing job. Great pics! :)

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    1. It's such an amazing place. I always learn new things when I go there, and it seems like I always discover something new I hadn't noticed before! Even if it's something I probably walked past a dozen times before and just didn't see.

      Their gardening staff is definitely top-notch.

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