Walking through a Garden with a Friend

Yesterday afternoon I met the talented writer from Pondside at Butchart Gardens. The day was cloudy and drizzly, but while we walked, the rain held off. Still, when I got home and looked into the mirror, the damp had definitely done a number on my hair. But who cares about hair when this garden, lush and colorful, beckons?
 

 We wandered, we talked, we stopped and filled our eyes and hearts with the beauty here. All the rain has made the greens greener and the bright spots of color brighter. 

 Delphinums tied in great stands resembled stooks of richly colored wheat and towered well over our heads. 

Sweet peas wafted their fragrance along the path. They were also tied and supported on bamboo pole teepees.

Begonias large and small filled beds and nestled against lush ferns. I'm not a begonia fan, but these blossoms, full and layered, are almost as nice as roses. Almost. The rose garden was spectacular, even in the rain, but I'll save them for a later post.

A cup of tea and a sweet ended our visit. As Pondside commented in an email, "It was such a pleasure to walk through the roses with someone as inclined as I to stop to appreciate the perfume." Likewise, Pondside!