Living walls

I love living walls and South Bay Botanic Garden has one of the best living walls I’ve ever seen. Besides the interest of the plants, I liked the design, different from the usual squares.

Living walls are panels of plants, grown vertically – using hydroponics or substrate-based growing media – on structures that are either freestanding or attached to walls.  Greenroofguide.com

Greenroofguide.com talks about green roofs and DIY green roofs as well as livings walls and vertical gardens. The first photos are simple but scroll down on any of the pages to see more elaborate and beautiful examples.

When we lived in Cleveland, we had a flat roof on our garage where I grew tomatoes and some other vegetables to keep them safe from the depredations of animals such as evil chipmunks and deer. It didn’t really qualify as a green roof but any animal attempting to reach the veggies would have had to pole vault or be shot out of a cannon, in which case I would have gladly surrendered my veggies in exchange for a video or two to make my fortune. But seriously, explore the site and perhaps you’ll catch a bit of my excitement if these photos don’t do that.

Descanso Garden has a vertical wall, which is much higher and on the side of a building. This is part of it.

But living walls or vertical gardens don’t have to outdoors or elaborate. You can also do living walls indoors as The Spruce shows beautifully here and in a variety of types and sizes. Plants have been shown to improve mental health, purify the air, muffle background noise, lower stress and the various “walls” shown aren’t difficult to put together, so what’s not to like?

Or any of you familiar with any or all of these features? Do any of you have a vertical wall or something similar? Inquiring minds like mine want to know. 🙂

Lens-Artists Challenge #218 – Over The Hill

Donna at Wind Kisses, creator of beauty through photos and words, is guest hosting the Lens-Artists Challenge this week in honor of her joining the over-the-hill gang in the same week. 🙂 (That includes me, so I feel free to say that.)

When somebody says to me-which they do like every 5 years- “How does it feel to be over the hill?” my response is, “I’m just heading up the mountain.” — John C. Baez

Sometimes the path leads literally over the hill as it did here in Cape May, New Jersey quite some years ago. There’s something intriguing about a path that leads through a portal, don’t you think?

Sunset in Wyoming. I was down near the cabin when I decided there might be a wonderful sunset in the offing, so I ran up a very, very long, steep hill (at 7,000’+ altitude) that the horses take some time getting up. I wasn’t over the hill but the sun certainly was. I was simply exhausted but managed to keep the camera steady.

I don’t know how I got over the hill without getting to the top. — Will Rogers

Plants that are seemingly over the hill still may manage to keep their beauty. Of course diamonds always add to that!

Sometimes “over the hill” is a bit more permanent than just being old. This is being ancient!

These rock stairs invite you to go over the hill in Descanso Gardens in California.

One early morning on the way home, the Bighorns once again stunned as I drove over the hill (think mountain and very unimproved road) and get ready to put it in first gear and head down the mountain. You never know what view might await over the hill.

Over the hill means the hardest climb is over and the view is terrific.
~found on a coffee mug

Finally, we’re now in autumn and in many places leaves are now over the hill, aging gracefully and beautifully.

Thursday Doors…Your (Un)natural Garden

Although not much in the way of flowers or plants was blooming during our visit to Descanso Gardens, we were able for the first time to visit Boddy House, named for the original owner and something was definitely blooming inside.

Perched high above the Descanso Gardens landscape on the crest of a hill, the historic Boddy House offers a glimpse of a glamorous bygone era. Built as the home of Descanso founder E. Manchester Boddy in the late 1930s, the Boddy House today is a must for every first-time visitor. (from the Descanso website)

I’m sure Elias Manchester Boddy wouldn’t have recognized the exhibit inside the house itself, standing in stark contrast to the simple elegance of the house itself. Your (Un)natural Garden has creations throughout the park but the house is the epicenter.

Artist Adam Schwerner asks visitors to please touch the art. Opening April 16, Your (Un)natural Garden is an experience like nothing at Descanso before.

Installations at the Sturt Haaga Gallery, Boddy House, and throughout the landscape will intrigue visitors’ senses and invite participation. Archways, created with found materials, will lead to the art gallery and house. Once there, explore rooms that will surprise you – from hundreds of bells playing to feather boas hanging from the ceiling. (from the website)

We’ll take closer looks at the installation but as it’s Thursday, we’ll focus on the doors. The front door is not usually this vibrant pink but it foreshadows what you’ll find inside. I decided to take the shot from a different angle than the usual and just a warning: you might want to don your sunglasses as we go inside.

You might be pardoned for not immediately homing in on the door in this shot if you were at the house. It seems even more simple when contrasted with the wallpaper and the exhibit on the other side. But the outlining of the one panel raises it beyond the usual.

Finally we see the somewhat more subdued back door leading to the patio with its share of the creations. It was fun to be able to see the inside of the house, although I’d like to go back when it’s restored to its non-(un)natural garden state as well.

Lens-Artists Challenge #191 – Curves

I’m thrilled and thankful to report that we are now grandparents. Wow, does that sound old! 😁 Our first grandchild/grandson was both last night. ❤️❤️❤️. Much rejoicing here. God is good.

Ann-Christine has set us a most enjoyable challenge this week, looking for curves…except that there are so many choices!! I just started scrolling through my photos and picked some of the first examples I found that I liked. Then I stopped and went back to watching Six Nations Rugby Super Saturday games (writing this on Saturday.) Let me take you through some of natures curves, as I don’t have all the many of my own to share. 🙂

In our bones we need the natural curves of hills, the scent of chaparral, the whisper of pines, the possibility of wildness. Richard Louv

I could smell the curves of the river beyond the dusk and I saw the last light supine and tranquil upon tide flats like pieces of broken mirror, then beyond them lights began in the pale clear air, trembling a little like butterflies hovering a long way off. – William Faulkner

In life, as in art, the beautiful moves in curves. ~Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

As all curves have reference to their centres or foci, so all beauty of character has reference to the soul, and is a graceful gesture of recognition or waving of the body toward it. Henry David Thoreau

Friday flowers…bright and colorful

Let’s look back at my first visit at Descanso Gardens several years ago for something bright and colorful (or colourful if you’re English.) Either way it’s a great way to celebrate TGIF.

for Life in Colour: kaleidoscope

To bee or to bee big

Six Word Saturday 10.16.21

Past Squares: Up & Lines

Life in Colour: orange

Pink trio

Yes, these roses were also in Descanso Gardens. A bright, pink square for Becky and Jude and all of you to brighten your Tuesday…or maybe Wednesday, depending on where you live. And if you look at the rose-to-be in the back left, well, this bud’s for you. 🙂

Let me add Cee’s FOTD (Flower of the Day) as well. 🙂

Friday flowers…light, glorious light

And bright glorious light for today’s “Square” entry, once again from Descanso Gardens in southern California.

Butterfly bright

Descanso Gardens has the perfect plant background to show off a giant swallowtail butterfly. The sun cooperated to light it up!

for Squares: bright

Spring

for One Word Sunday: spring (or autumn)