Inspiration for a garden -Japanese Tea Gardens, Golden Gate Park - San Francisco Field Trip

I'm quite interested in creating themed gardens at home these days - whether in a pot or larger gardening space. Recently my daughter and I went up to the Japanese Tea Gardens in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, and you can bet I was thinking the whole time about elements for the perfect mini tea garden at home!

Do you think I can manufacture something for a large pot garden, or a stretch of yard, as perfect as a drum bridge?

I've seen miniature bridges, but none as perfectly rounded as this. Kids love to climb over this - and I've had a lot of fun on it as a no-longer-a-kid myself.

Hummmm I think I'm going to need some green glass to give a watery look, something along the lines of this lantern and a lovely orange lily. I have a lot of chasmonti floribunda that's overgrown my yard. It has a lovely orange flower and similar lily foliage. 

I might not be able to squeeze in a temple in a pot, or in my yard for that matter, but these burnt reds contrasting with green are certainly something to think about when it comes to plants, and or a ceramic pot or tile.

The Pagoda - A Time Travel Portal in Golden Gate Park

Looking for a little more time in your travel?

Walk up the hill from the museums in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park to Stow Lake. Then take the Roman Bridge to the island and follow the trail to the Pagoda. See you on the other side? Maybe - or perhaps we'll meetup sometime back in the Qing Dynasty....

Time Travelers Spotted?

I don't know their story, but I'm pretty sure this pair aren't totally twenty-first century.

Click on the illustration above to check out these time-travellers yourself.

Spotted while walking past Queen Wilhemina's Windmill in Golden Gate Park this afternoon.

'Tis a Gift To Be Simple: A Valentine

The Simple Romantic, thinks that nothing could be more simple or romantic, than these butterflies working steadily away to earn their living the old fashioned way. Location: Conservatory of Flowers at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco California

A Marigold Moment (Butterfly)

Click on the photo to get up an up close and personal view

Another Inhabitant of the Conservatory of Flowers 

Golden Gate Park

San Francisco

You might also enjoy Do Butterflies Dream?

Do butterflies dream?

Please click on the picture above for more dreamy detail

Do butterflies dream?

I wished that I was visiting with this lady today, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park.


My friend, Judy wrote me to say,

"I'd call it 'Dining Out in Style'

There is an average life span of a butterfly - it is usually about one month.  Although the smallest butterflies that you can usually spot feasting on the flowers in your front yard will usually only live about one week.  Mourning Cloaks, some tropical Heliconians, and Monarchs are some of the only butterflies that have an average life span of about nine months. From the butterfly site, they don't sleep, I guess they only rest. "

I have been working on coding in C++ and Objective-C instead. Which can be as intense an experience as this butterfly is having- but, today,  not as colorful.