New Year's Drop Off

Drop Off

This is the day after all the celebrations that started well before Christmas in November and end on New Year's Day  We might be looking ahead to Twelfth Night (Jan 5) and Epiphany (Jan 6) in some cultures with a strong religious orientation.  Here in North America, it all goes quiet.

It turns out that Costa Rica is full of early January celebrations.  The Palmares Fiestas starts the first week of January and is "two weeks of concerts, bullfighting, folklore dancing and general debauchery".  The first week also has the Coffee Cup:  "a much-anticipated, week-long juniour tennis tournament.  And there's the Alajuelita Fiestas - "an oxcart parade and party to honour the Black Christ of Esquipulas, Alajuela." So there's no end of fun in Costa Rica, no cliff after January 1st.

Perhaps it is time to schedule for next year's after-Christmas holiday in Costa Rica.

The two images today were taken in St. Augustine Florida, a lovely historic town.  The oldest house museum complex has historical houses surrounded with courtyards, gardens, and statues. St. Augustine gardens have clear Spanish influences in architecture and design.

Love Those Garden Doors

I've noticed that garden doors are very intriguing and interesting in the garden.  A door for most of us gives entrance to an indoor living space.  So a garden door signifies an outdoor living space.  

Here's a door in Spindletree Gardens, located in Tamworth, Ontario near Kingston.  Its curved top and little window give a sense of delight and whimsy.  I asked Susan Meisner what its origin was and it had come from an antique dealer.  It does has a sense of old-world elegance and a handmade quality to it.  This is something I really appreciate about Spindletree Gardens - all the structures and garden elements have a history.  Some of them have been salvaged and saved, and brought back to beauty in the gardens.

This next door seems to be to be a modern version of the door above.  It is in an elegant garden on the lake in Grimsby, Ontario.  It is interesting how it maintains the old-world charm yet has a modern elegance.

Many of us focus on the plant material in our garden.  I am certainly one of those people.  I can't wait to find some climbing roses for my trellis:  I am looking for a Fourth of July and Roberta Bondar.  Yet, something like a garden door has immense stature and presence in the garden and tell a complete story of themselves.  

I look forward to hearing about what stories your garden tells - in the elements such as doors, in the paths and the flowers and plants.