Halloween

Halloween 2009: Cat in the Hat (age 28).  Went to Trolley Square Friday night with friend Dave (age 40).  The event at Trolley Square was LaMe... then met Dave's friend Bob (age 53+?) during dinner at Desert Edge where I learned Dave and Bobs political views and that they are quite different.  It was entertaining.  Later Dave, Bob and I met up with Dave's other friend Bob (age 42ish?) and his friend at the Coffee Garden on 9th and 9th for some fall desserts and further mingling as Dave seems to know everyone who walks in and out of a room.  Ended the evening with a walk-through at a party/dance. 

Tonight I shall be without costume and hit up my friend-from-the-mission's party somewhere in south SL and another friends party near the U.  There is going to be root beet floats, and that is enough for me.

Chicago Day 4: Thursday Botanic Gardens II

Here we go - welcome back.  Continuing through the Chicago Botanic Gardens.

Today we will be mainly in the English Walled garden.  By the end you should all be speaking with a British accent.  Capital.

I liked this container for the somewhat un-fancy water element - and how they set it off with the brick turned on a corner behind the somewhat un-fancy water element.  The container has a cool pattern on the face, but you don't feel gaudy around it or too high-brow.

 

Detail people, detail!  At the foot of the not so fancy tub holding water - is this; black, smooth stones on end and mortared in.  It's what lies between the tub and the brick patio.  Again, this space could have been left with out any treatment whatsoever, HOWEVER - someone was using their brain here, and it's a detail that I am sure excited everyone who notices it.  Or at least me.

Here I love the depth of brick on brick.  And the Creeper lavishly adorning the wall and column.  It feels lived in and worn in, in a good way.

 

Focus on the evergreen foliage...then through to...

...the sundial.  I didn't notice the sundial until I had my camera in my face - and while looking through the lens noticed this on the other end.  British gardens are full of surprises and happy discoveries.

So naturally, I could not do anything else until I found my way to that sundial.  As you can see, you cannot tell the time, but rather the weather - overcast and rainy.

I LoVe the blue bench across this outdoor room!  Now there's a bench for you to sit in!

Fun plant container.  Fun plants in the container.

Another view of the outdoor room.  I like the weeping tree - and the columns creating a space within this space.  There were so many patterns going on - it was great.

See this great bench?

It's like an art piece - with that sprawled out espalier behind it as a backdrop.

Weeping trees and water is a fine combination.

Here you see a variety of ground plane materials - brick and crushed gravel - with low plants filling in the spaces in between.  And I love this tree trunk.

Sedum is great for the fall - it holds it's color well into the later month of the year, even when most everything else has decided to droop over and call it quits for the year.

Here I love the mixed used of wall materials.  Normally one would not think of this combination as one might consider it two different styles.  But that's exactly why it is so great! Each style emphasizes the great qualities of the other, and as a whole they become stronger.

I don't think this is in great focus?  But I love the concept.  Make your walls interesting, please.

We won't go through these gates yet - but again, the color is lively and adds drama without the drama.

I like the rows of recessed brick - there are no boring walls in this garden.

Little spouts of water are found on just one corner of this pond - so remember that.  They don't always have to be in the middle.

Let's back up so you can get the full view here.

 

Here we can see the joining of three wall materials if you look closely.  Also - those pots of mums are on steps - hinting that you should join them and see what is at the top of the stairs...where does it lead??

It doesn't lead to here - but I just wanted to show you these blue doors.  Blue bench, blue gates, blue doors.  Not too much, but just enough to tie the garden all together.

I think this in enough for today.  We have ramped up above the English Walled gardens and will be on to somewhere else some other day.  For now, enjoy the idea of these two trees - which are of the same species - are just on opposite sides of the wall.  It creates movement and breaks up the stiffness that a brick wall can sometimes create.

Chicago Day 4: Thursday Botanic Gardens I

The Chicago Botanic Gardens.

I don't even know where to start!  And I have SOOOOOOO many pictures, it's hard to decide which ones make the final cut.  So - take a seat.  You'll be needing one if you are going to make it through this post.  Sorry there are no cushion on this bench, but it provides a great view regardless.

On this particular day, the forecast was very very cold, and very very wet.  Peter said he was going to go anyways - nothing would deter him from spending time in the botanic gardens.  So - I bucked-up and raised my hand with two others (out of twenty), when asked who was going with Peter.  I was tired, and mentally wanted a break from the wet and cold and thought about how nice it would be to rest for a day.  But my soul said, "GO!"  And I shall never regret it.  All the cold was worth it. 

Here are some things that I liked - and even why I liked them!

This is near the entrance to the gardens.  It was in an area that could have easily, EASILY, been left brick.  Most people would have and all others wouldn't have noticed otherwise - after all, this costs money to install, train and maintain.  Lots of work.  But these gardens are so rockin' that they care about every square inch and you can feel it from the inside-out!

I love the expanse of lawn here that is flanked by rows of trees on each side and bunches of pots full of fall mums.  They add a punch of color and wow.  Some of the following pictures will give you a better idea and feeling of this large space.  It it one of the first areas you can come to.  And it butts in to the water - awesome.

See? 

Just wonderful.

Here you get a good idea of the left flank.  The first picture showed off the right flank.  Clean, organized, varied materials and textures.  Feels good.

Now we are back to the right flank - which adorns a water feature.  Adding in a different element to the right side, that is not on the left side, creates intrigue and desire; the space as a whole feels very symmetrical, this "unbalanced-balance" of water on one side while not on the other makes it feel not so rigid while maintaining dignity.  Follow? 

Better view of the repeated pops of fall color created by the mums. 

Mums the word!

Alright, we are now leaving this area of the gardens, but because we liked it so much - we will turn around to take one last glance.  (In the glance, please note how everything ties together.  We see the left and right sides, the rows of trees on either side, the large expanse of lawn in between the rows of trees, the water feature..... Don't you want to play a game of croquet out there?!?)

PAUSE.

This is a path, meant to look like a wall in your face so that you stop for a moment.  I am thinking now that I am going to need to do this portion of the day in to different posts, unless you just want to look at pictures and do not want commentaries on each photo.  Too bad - you get the commentaries.  Yep - I am going to dissect each photograph and if you care to watch, so be it.  I gave you that bench in the beginning of this post to sit on after all, so no whining.  I'll try to find you a more comfy chair later on.

  

I like the repeat of the white bark on these multi-trunked birch trees, and since they are not lined up a row - you feel more informal and relaxed than the last space shown above.  It asks you to wander. 

And possibly wonder.

The layout of this entire space was really quite wonderful.  Those tall red things are made up of more mums. 

I like this step-like edging that encompasses the water.  There is water flowing over those steps and into the pond where lilies and grasses and other water plants are happy to thrive.

 

This picture must have been taken of somewhere in this garden.  I took it to show the contrast of purple and yellow together and how pairing opposite colors is effective.  Of course, you may not like these particular flowers, or the colors - but whatever.  Remember that knowing and using the color wheel in your landscape, esp. when dealing with flowers - is important.

You can see the red mum-my (ha ha) like columns in the background, letting you know we are still in the same space.  Here is a pic of the center of the water feature we have been looking at the edge of.

This fantastic quasi-sphere is a lamp to light the walk-way after dusk.  I didn't realize it was until later (dusk) - which was a gleeful surprise.  I just thought it a cool architectural element!  Just remember function and form.  Use them together readily.

I do love sculpture.  3D art is wonderful in a garden as long as it is applied in a successful fashion.  How do you apply it successfully, you ask?  Well, it depends.

It depends on several variables.  Which I won't go in to right now.

Time to stop as I am losing your attention.  We will see what over this wall...

...and down this allee of trees with spheres...

...another day.

I am at my parents house right now.  I stopped by on my way to BYU to eat food.  I do that sometimes.  Oh - and to do my laundry.  I do that too, sometimes.  Whites are almost done.

In my parents kitchen there is a place where they put all wedding announcements they receive - there are always several displays, sharing the happy photos and words of when and where and whatnot.

Whenever the time comes, I do not want an announcement - I do not want a reception.  Maybe just a dinner/ party with all my best friends and family.  Catered.  Done.  Or something similar anyways.

So when you all do not get an announcement from me - do not feel bad.

And no.  It's not happening anytime soon.

And yes.  I am so fine with that.

CHeeRS!

Chicago Day 8: Monday II

Monday evening we drove to St. Josephs, Michigan, to watch the sunset.

It was a great way to spend my last evening in the Mid-West.

Tokens from the lake shore.

I heart coasts and very large lake shores that makes you feel like you are on the coast.

Lake Michigan suffices.  Most definitely.

Did I become obsessed with the sand and the way the lake left it's unique mark each time the water rolled in and out? 

No - not at all. 

Do I have more photos of lines in sand that you haven't seen?

Yes - absolutely.

One of my favorite reasons for being at a shore - lake or sea...is that it sweeps away all thought and I am, the sand is, the water is and we all just are.  It's a state of being that I seek for every once in a while.  It's a great feeling to have an empty brain.  And while many of you might say I do not need a shoreline to manifest an empty brain, I digress and say o'well.