traveling gardener

the truth is, time tends to fly even when we aren't thinking about it.  this month was a special one for me because it marks two milestones in my life.  darry and i were married 23 years ago on the 14th of september and on the 12th, i celebrated the 25 year anniversary of my graduation from the culinary institute of america.  a small group of my classmates were on hand for the reunion festivities and we had a wonderful time.  

traveling north to attend the reunion also meant a chance to see family members.  my travel plans brought me first to pennsylvania, then on to new york, new jersey and back to pennsylvania.   the scenery was lush and green with a hint of fall colors

mom and steve picked me up in scranton and we drove back to bushkill, after having a late lunch with with my uncle peter and aunt katherine.  on our drive to the house, we made a quick stop to see the scenery of smithfield beach on the delaware river.  it was a gorgeous day and the river was as smooth as glass.

mom's house is in a wooded area and due to the large amount of deer, everything is shrouded in wire fences.  this is the little pond in her yard that is home to many frogs.

a close up shot reveals all of the non edible garden art.  the large amount of trees on the lot prevent plants from growing and the deer eat just about anything that does grow.

mom and i went to lambertville, nj to wander in the shops and have lunch.  we ate in an old train station that has been converted to a restaurant.  it is along side a canal near the delaware river.  they had a small series of container gardens that held herbs along the old train tracks.

when i arrived in hyde park, ny on the campus of the CIA, i hardly recognized it.  so much has been added and the landscaping added has changed things dramatically.  this is the new herb garden outside the colavita center which is where the caterina di medici restaurant is located.

this rhubarb was so impressive that i could not resist taking a photo of it.  hopefully mine will look like that some day...

the entrance to the garden features a rose garden with many varieties to admire.

this is a new waterfall and landscaping added to the old pond that sits in front of the dorms we lived in.  what an improvement!!!

while walking around the campus, i spied espaliered apple trees among the landscaping in front of Roth hall, the main building on campus.

finding myself with a little time to explore, i drove down to beacon, ny to do a little shopping.  this is the back of a building located next to the public parking lot.  it just goes to show that you do not need a huge yard to create your own garden oasis.  on the ground level there is a group of comfy seats and a water fountain on the wall as well as potted plants.

the folks in beacon obviously take beautification seriously.  the trees along main street were surrounded by colorful flowers.  it also made me miss the area, the hudson valley truly is a beautiful place.