Today Nigel and I had a lovely little outing into Tacoma, to Point Defiance Park. Yesterday, we had a very quiet day -- well, at least it was quiet inside the house. Outside, of course, it being the Fourth of July, was a totally different matter. For at least four hours last night, it sounded like a war zone out there, with all the fireworks going off right in our neighborhood. They are allowed for three days at the Fourth of July, and some people here go all out, even so far as shooting off the ones that go high into the air and produce huge sparkly blooms. We had spent the entire day at home, didn't even go out anywhere to eat. Sat in the back garden on our lounge chairs, drinking soda, reading, and just enjoying our garden. I think I did the rounds once, pulling a couple of weeds when I noticed them.
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| Point Defiance Lodge Visitors Center |
Point Defiance Park in Tacoma has a beautiful garden and walking trails, as well as a nice play area for kids, and a zoo and aquarium. I've been wanting to go there for a while, so when Nigel (who had taken the day off work) said "What shall we do today?" I decided it was time to head there. It made for a grand day out.
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| Begonias in one of the hanging baskets on the porch |
There is an absolutely magnificent rose garden there, actually two of them, and I got some really lovely photos of roses. I seldom show photos of roses on my blog, because I don't grow any. I love the flowers, especially the ones with great scents, but the shrubs themselves are, well, ugly. Usually disease-ridden, pruned to within an inch of their lives. Where I have room for rose, I'd rather plant a different shrub with interesting foliage.
Anyway, I hope you like roses, if not you will be very bored with this post. It is going to be a rose orgy. (Sorry, I didn't keep track of names, not all of them had name tags.)
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| What looks like a bank of roses here behind the lower ones is actually a trellis tunnel with climbing roses all over it. |
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| There was a group of volunteers there with clippers, trimming, pruning, and deadheading the roses. |
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| This rose was huge, truly -- as big as my head, I think. |
There are some interesting foliage combinations in some of the beds too.
Whoever is in charge of pruning this weeping conifer is a genius -- assuming, that is, that it's meant to look like a mastodon.
I know they're pretty common, but I am always impressed by enormous calla lilies. They're one of my favorite flowers.
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| Calla lily foliage next to bear's breeches |
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| The gardens had several enormous Gunneras |
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| So tropical-looking -- and check out that blue sky! |
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| Do dogwoods bloom in July anywhere else in the country? |
After I gallivanted around the garden beds taking pictures and oohing and aahing, we went for a little walk.
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| I wanted to get a snap of Nigel walking ahead of me, silhouetted, but he heard me stop and started to turn to see what had captured my attention. |
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| So wonderfully tranquil |
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| Point Defiance Park is right on the Sound |
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| I wish I could have known the woman who gave her name to this bench, doesn't she sound like a hoot? |
Well, I hope you enjoyed this trip to Point Defiance Park with me!
