Secret Gardens

Thank you everyone for all of your well wishes for my dear friend Dan in the UK.  Taking this weekend off to relax and concentrate on those I love and the things that matter most to me was wonderful!  

On Saturday Mr. Tide and I went for a nice long paddle in the kayaks, complete with a walk along the beach in search of sea glass and a beautiful sunset.  When we reached our creek from the river it was under the light of a full moon undergoing a lunar eclipse.  So by the soft reddish pink of the moon we headed home where we roasted marshmallows in 90 degree heat with our son on our new fire pit!  It seemed silly to have a fire going in the hot, humid weather but it helped me to just slow down a bit and to enjoy the simple things life has to offer!

While I was sitting enjoying the evening, eating slightly scorched marshmallows and watching the lightning bugs flit about, I remembered that I had some great photos of gardens I had taken last weekend while doing scouting shots at two beautiful homes.  So I thought I would share these pretty gardens with all of you!

The garden above is just as charming as the house to which it belongs!

There are whimsical elements like this rusted rabbit holding a pot of colorful marigolds!  Don't you love that pink rake?!

And the potting shed with it's rustic charm and white picket fence could be straight out of a fairytale!

The owners of this beautiful home and garden are hospitable, kind, and humble.  And their garden mimics those qualities, creating beauty in a quiet unassuming manner that makes you want to stay and linger as you wander from one lovely spot to the next!

Vibrant overflowing flower boxes add to the cottage feel and hint at the lovely decor inside.

Lush plantings in the foreground are like an accessory to the stunning backdrop beyond!

The gardens are full of color and feel as though they were effortlessly created for a Victorian cottage by the sea!

A cottage filled with romance, or perhaps one owned by a famous writer who drew inspiration from her surroundings!

And although there are no gardeners or Victorian ladies to tend to this tranquil yard, just hardworking homeowners, it is a place where at every turn you are inspired to think, reflect, or maybe even pen that famous novel!

This huge Ash tree resides at the second gorgeous home I was lucky enough to photograph!  I can't even imagine how old this grand dame of a tree must be, but I know that it has seen a season or two in its time to be this massive!

This stately farm has a few other things to look at besides trees and flowers.  Beautiful horses grace this 60 acre spread, and when you drive down the long lane you feel like you're on a movie set from Gone With The Wind!

This 1800's farmhouse boasts plenty of beautiful landscaping to welcome family and friends.

And the owners, friends I've known for years now, love to entertain and share their gracious home with others!  They can even ring the dinner bell when it's time to come inside and pick a bushel of crabs!

Like the first home and garden I showed you, if I had a home like one of these I would want to share them with everyone too!

Like every historic farmhouse should, this home has gardens that are not too fussy, but still beautiful to look at!

And like the owners, there is a sense of whimsy and fun found all around the property!  They love nothing more than to have their two sweet granddaughters over to swim in the pool or go for a pony ride!

I think a garden can tell you a lot about the people who created it.  Those who like formal gardens tend to be very orderly, wonderfully methodical, and they thrive on the precision of everything neatly in it's place.   Those with a cottage style garden are often more artistic,  romantic, and introspective.  While farmhouse gardens are often created by free spirits, where a few weeds or spent blooms don't seem to matter so long as everyone is happy, and where a little mud tracked in from the garden is never a big deal!

I'm not quite sure where I fall into those generalizations.  I think I have a bit of all 3 of them in me!  How about you, what is your secret garden style?!