Wisteria Tea…

one of our Spring traditions is to try and catch the Wisteria in bloom at our favorite city garden about 20 miles away in Washington, DC…

being able to visit on a cool and breezy weekday afternoon was extra nice as it was not crowded at all…

the last time I shared Wisteria photos with you was in 2013 and the Swarovski Crystal Cloud Terrace was still at Dumbarton Oaks (we really miss that alot!!!)…

the gardens are always beautifully tended but we did notice special touches like Pan’s hooves … horns and flute spruced up with gold paint above…

the decorative ironwork had a fresh coat of paint too…

we stood a long time admiring the metal bleeding hearts… lilies and leaves on one of the garden gates…

one lovely thing after another to catch your eye…

with different varieties of wisteria planted throughout the gardens…

the blooms were in all stages and each variety had its own delicate fragrance that attracted lots of bumblebees…

our traveling tea cup came along and made it into a fair number of photos (I counted ten times in these photos)…

you can blame the number of photos on the fact that we returned a second day to explore the gardens…

AND there was a perfect blue sky to make everything shine…

the parade of blooms was just beginning…

 each day in nature has special treats in store…

a Mourning Dove with very good taste built a nest on top of a lamp in a lovely mosaic alcove…

there will be a bit of clean up needed to get that area back in shape after the little ones leave the nest…

wishing you a Happy T Day along with everyone over at Elizabeth’s Altered Book Lover…

“No two gardens are the same.  No two days are the same in one garden.”  ~Hugh Johnson

Wisteria Wishes …

“If your eyes are open, you’ll see the things worth seeing.” ~ Rumi

for some time I have wanted to see Wisteria in bloom up close and personal…

this year my wish came true…

thanks to our glorious spring weather the traveling tea cup got out…

to enjoy the splendor of some blooming Wisteria at our favorite city garden…

which also gave us the chance to enjoy the sparkling Crystal Cloud Terrace before it leaves the gardens this May (we still have our fingers crossed that it will become a permanent fixture there)…

we could not believe our eyes…

and noses…

with so much beauty and fragrance wafting on the breeze…

several varieties are growing so bloom time would be extended…

in every stage of unfurling…

with lots more blooms to come…

helped by our cooler temperatures…

“I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.” ~Ruth Stout

***also if you do not know about it already the talented and lovely Theresa Martin is having a fantastic giveaway here***

 

Spring has Sprung Tea…

in quest for signs of spring here in the Washington DC area Mr Magpie and I took the traveling tea cup out and about this past weekend…

the National Cherry Blossom Festival activities are in full swing but the cherry blossoms themselves had been slow to make their appearance…

that did not stop the hoards of visitors from coming out on a sunny and very breezy day to check on them…

while we were in the city we decided to visit a favorite garden and were delighted to find the Crystal Cloud Terrace installation still in place…

the garden will not be the same when the ten thousand Swarovski Elements crystals are taken down…

it was a treat to see the forsythia dell in all of its glory…

every season definitely has its charms in this most beautiful of city gardens…

a spot well worth visiting if you come to Washington, DC any time of year…

“Every spring is the only spring – a perpetual astonishment.”  ~Ellis Peters

***be sure to stop by and visit Elizabeth of Altered Book Lover and leave a comment for a chance to win her wonderful book giveaway if you haven’t already***

“Cloud Terrace” Tea

after receiving the nicest message from Stephen Jerrome, partner with Andy Cao & Xavier Perrot, of Cao | Perrot Studio along with some brilliant photographs (see below) I thought I would do a follow up blogpost to my last week’s “ten thousand crystals tea” post…

*photograph courtesy of Stephen Jerrome, Partner and Photographer Cao | Perrot Studio*

Stephen mentioned that the pool and gravel area under the Swaroski ELEMENT Crystal Cloud were also part of the design for the new installation at Dumbarton Oaks…

*photograph courtesy of Stephen Jerrome, Partner and Photographer Cao | Perrot Studio*

we would have never guessed that it wasn’t always a part of the terrace area…

*photograph courtesy of Stephen Jerrome, Partner and Photographer Cao | Perrot Studio*

truly a magical addition to the landscape…

*photograph courtesy of Stephen Jerrome, Partner and Photographer Cao | Perrot Studio*

for a wonderful look at other designs created by Cao | Perrot Studio you can click on each thumbnail here…

and for those of you dreaming of a beautiful crystal cloud in your own backyard be sure and have a look here…

for more tea stops visit Kimmie at Art in Red Wagons

ten thousand crystals tea

our traveling tea cup made a return visit to one of our favorite places…

the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks are filled with beauty and wonder…

Pan points the way to the Lovers’ Lane Pool…

we came across a duck sitting silently and still at the right edge of the water…

the roses are already fantastic and they’ve just begun to bloom…

their fragrance wafted on the breeze before you even saw them…

*the videos were filmed by Mr Magpie along with assorted photographs*

last year we visited the gardens on Mother’s Day…

this year a week earlier was nice and peaceful in comparison…

while a bit overcast…

 we were totally enchanted and wowed by a new art installation by artists Andy Cao and Xavier Perrot called “Cloud Terrace”

it transformed the reflecting pool at the Arbor Terrace into a wonderland…

the ethereal “clouds” are handmade with plain old chicken wire and 10,000 Swarovski crystals …

we could only imagine the rainbows of dancing Light on a sunny day…

as if we hadn’t already planned a return visit…

won’t you join us over at Kimmie’s Art in Red Wagons for more Tea on Tuesday

footnote: we managed to get our traveling tea cup/saucer in eight different photos here…you’d have to click the pics to catch them all 🙂

Pan Tea

Mother’s Day at Dumbarton Oaks…

always a beautiful spot to visit in the Washington DC area…

easy to forget you are in the city in this ten acre garden…

with delights tucked everywhere you turn…

Mother Nature parading her colors…

my traveling tea cup

has done a bit of wandering recently…as some of you know…

most recently here with Pan in the lovely gardens we visited on Sunday…

a clone would be useful just about now…

then I could be everywhere I would like to be…Mr Magpie filmed the sweet bumblebee video…

trying to stop and smell the flowers as often as possible…

even when they sometimes seem a bit out of reach…

wishing each of you a very Happy T Tuesday…

be sure and visit Kimmie for lots of lovely links…

***does anyone know HOW to remove Ads by Google???  I was shocked to see them on my blog…thanks***

~*Happy Birthday Pink Saturday*~

Pink Saturday

is celebrating its first birthday!!!

I first participated in Pink Saturday in October of last year

my birthday treat for you today is a trip to Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, DC

*you may click on the photos for a closer view*

it is one of those spots worth visiting again and again because of the ever changing landscapes

on a recent visit, there was a a light rain shower, just enough to kiss the blossoms with delicate raindrops

these are just a few of the pink highlights, there is so much to see and enjoy in these splendid gardens

this bit of Latin, Quod Severis Metes (As you ‘Sew’, So shall you Reap) was a repeated theme in the gardens

Pan points to one of the peaceful reflecting pools

if you ever visit our nation’s capital, I highly recommend a trek to  Dumbarton Oaks

there are delights everywhere you turn

walkways and paths draw you in

the smell of summer is already in the air with sweet honeysuckle perfume

I could go on and on (we took hundreds of photos), but there are lots of  lovely Pink Saturday posts at Beverly’s How Sweet the Sound that you won’t want to miss!

It is no small thing to keep a weekly blog challenge going strong, Beverly does it with grace and makes it look easy week after week.