One of the most eye-catching bits of branding I’ve seen is on the corner of Fifth Street and North Lamar Boulevard, in Austin, Texas. Continue reading “ATX Public Art, Austin Texas”
Wildflowers in the Broadway Cemeteries, Galveston
I was prompted to share these pictures, taken two years ago in Galveston’s wildflower cemeteries by reading Shoreacre’s fascinating post about them. Continue reading “Wildflowers in the Broadway Cemeteries, Galveston”
The Arbor Gate, Tomball, Texas
The Arbor Gate shop entrance
Striped canna leaves catching the sun
I’ve met many horticulture people I love, admire or both, but few I admire more than Beverly Welch who, together with her husband, Max, owns The Arbor Gate. No matter how many times I visit, I’m always taken by her hospitality, kindness and composure even on one of the busiest days in her calendar.
My sweetheart lectures there, so I don’t claim to be impartial. I’m a fan. It’s my favourite plant centre outside the UK and I suspect there aren’t many better ones in the world. I love wandering around, admiring the plants and marvelling at the garden art while trying to avoid being taken off guard by the Texan sun.
He’s actually lecturing at The Arbor Gate as I write, while I’m back in England, feeling nostalgic and making up for not being there by sharing a much overdue gallery of pictures from my visits over the last few years.
One the plant front, visitors can expect to find roses, perennials, annuals, succulents, trees, shrubs, vines and a big collection of herbs.
Yellow hibiscus
Yellow lily
Flowers opening
A metal flower – my guess is it’s a garden lamp
Mock Underwater Garden
When I saw the prompt for this week’s photo challenge, my first thought was ‘Easy!’. My life and experiences seem unlikely to me – as everyone’s would, if we only spared time to think about it. Photographically, I would have said I notice the unlikely. So why is it that looking through my pictures, I can’t find anything unlikely? Not really. [The truth is, everything is just as likely as it is unlikely, given the nature of the world and recent conjectures about it. Don’t blame me for the wooziness of that statement, blame the late, lamented Stephen Hawking.]
I seem to hear someone object “What’s unlikely about this? The mermaid isn’t real. Were she real, I’d hand it to you.”
OK, I know this isn’t really an underwater garden, just an impression of one in the corner of a real garden. A collection of containers, garden art, natural objects, plants, structures and vines have all been co-opted to create a garden vignette. Continue reading “Mock Underwater Garden”
Cheeky Roadside Memorabilia (With A Coulrophobia Warning)
I’m sharing these pictures, taken in the backyard at Austin’s Roadhouse Relics, for the weekly photo challenge, cheeky. I recommend you take a look at the other submissions, if only to see Michelle’s cheeky parrot, shared for our inspiration.
The figures along the roof are the cheeky bit in this picture, although the picture is doubling as a delaying tactic as I know there are increasing amounts of people with a fear of clowns.
I assume quite a few of these are not familiar with the term coulrophobia, which makes me wonder why we give such strange terms to fears. Believe me, if you have a phobia, you want a good clear warning. Obfustication is the last thing you need with danger approaching (that word must have more than a hint of irony in it, surely?).
But, to back to my ~~~warning~~~ if you share this fear, please look no further. Continue reading “Cheeky Roadside Memorabilia (With A Coulrophobia Warning)”
Thursday Doors: Blue Sky Door
This characterful door hasn’t experienced much traffic lately, as the untrampled wildflowers bear witness. It is part of the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture (Southpop) complex on South Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas – or just around the corner from it.
I found this picture particularly tricky to write alt text for. How do you describe it in just a few words to a person who can’t see it? Continue reading “Thursday Doors: Blue Sky Door”
State of Mind
For this week’s photo challenge, Ben Huberman asks us to go a little deeper, to share a picture that reveals a particularly strong connection. I set off all metaphysical, thinking about empty seats: how our state of mind might alter how we interpret the scene.
Well, that’s as may be, but how often do we look at something and not see the blindingly obvious? If my fondness for this picture – not exactly one of my best – means anything at all, it’s that with me, it just don’t get no deeper than I likes me some pie. Continue reading “State of Mind”
Susan Rushton 