Rip Van Wrinkle Garden is Not Sleepy

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

After visiting the Jungle Gardens and seeing how tabasco was made, I finally got to my destination, the Rip Van Wrinkle Garden in Jefferson Island. This land, atop a salt dome - which is why it is called an island - was bought by the acclaimed American Actor, Joseph Jefferson, best known for playing Rip Van Wrinkle.  Subsequent owners built and named the gardens, Rip Van Wrinkle Gardens in his honor.

I drove past the entrance, up a long drive and then turned left on a road with houses.  In the front yard of one of the houses was a peacock.  I stoped to take its picture and it started displaying, lifting its long tail of feathers horizontally, they slowly lifting them straight up while rotating slowly. 

All this beautiful display does not seem very efficient for survival

I soon reached the parking area and saw the visitor center where I bought a ticket. Then I started through the gardens while waiting to take a tour of the house.  You are not allowed inside the house unless you are on a tour.

A little courtyard

I followed the walk from the back door of the visitor center to the edge of Lake Peigneur, the place where in 1980, an oil well drill broke into the salt dome which caused a huge sinkhole as the lake drained into the salt mine and the bayou reversed coursed and brought saltwater into the lake. The lake is still salty, and instead of being shallow throughout, has a deep area and salt water fish now live in it. Here is a video about that event. I was living in North Louisiana at the time and was horrified and amazed at the TV footage.

A lovely boat house which  from which the shore is eroding, so we can't go on it. 

A bell sits in front of the tea house

This gong was  near the entrance to the park - may have once called slaves in from the fields

I didn't figure out what this was all about but it almost looks like a little folly guarded by soldiers. 

A closeup view of one of the guardians

One area of the garden which was made of plantings in open spaces in the trees

From the other side of the same bed build on a mound of soil to break up the sight lines.

Two of the four lions in the junction of two paths

This is one of my favorite bamboos - always wanted a bedroom in the dark green wth the silvery blue as a trim

I enjoyed watching early sulfur butterflies but was only to get one capture when this one lit on the bottlebrush

Amaryllis added color

Another very decorated lion - one of a pair guarding a path to one of the garden beds

A lovely water feature was tucked into the trees

Garden view

A Eurasian collared dove getting a drink

View of the side of the Jefferson house from the gardens

A Japanese maple was putting out very colorful leaves

The porch wrapped around the front and the opposite side from where I shot the first picture

I got to the house a few minutes before the next tour and saw I could not photograph inside. So I took a few pictures through the windows, then sat and enjoyed the beautiful view across a huge grassy field to more plantings and to a wooded area near the house. All my walking caught up with me and I decided to not go on the tour and have to stand around. I spent the next several minutes just enjoying the sights and sounds from the front porch as I rocked in a rocking chair.

One of the front rooms

The front hall

View from my rocking chair

The wooded area to the right of the house 

On the way in, I had seen a sign for a rookery, but hadn't seen many birds. On the way out, I saw several roseate spoonbills starting to build their nests. 

Flying flamenco dancer

While researching this site, I found a very enjoyable video of Lake Pegnoir showing the arial view of this beautiful property.

And I got to photograph two peacocks displaying.  Way too many pictures for the blog but I shared them in a Facebook album.

Plan B was Very Good

February 5, 2017

I drove a little over an hour down to New Orleans to visit the Botanical Garden there. To get the most bang for my gas buck, I left early, planning to visit City Park which houses an art museum and the Botanical Gardens.

I arrived around 7:30 A.M. to find the park closed but parking allowed along Park Drive. I soon found out that the Rock and Roll Marathon was going on.  I missed the start but was around for a lot of the half marathon finishers and the first few of the marathon finishers. But there was plenty of time while the runners were out on the course to enjoy the park and a few of the bands that were all along the course. The runners got to enjoy lots of different kinds of New Orleans Music while viewing many of the historical buildings. Over 20,000 runners participated in the two events - marathon and half marathon.

What the start looked like - they actually ran in groups that started at different times with the elite athletes leaving first. (picture from the Rock and Roll Marathon Facebook Page) 

I started by taking pictures of the huge live oaks which I've already blogged about. Wondering about under their shade gave me a calm, happy feeling. And I found some varieties of flowers that were especially photogenic.

There are some pretty views within the 1,300 acre park

Loved these flirty azeleas

Think this was a persimmon but I'm sure one of my gardening friends will set me straight

Double variegated  azaleas are extremely photogenic

Even the most common variety of azalea looked beautiful in the early light 

I followed my ears to find some of the sources of the music. One group was playing at the finish line in the park. There were others all along the two courses.

Runners and watchers near the finish line

Half marathoners making a turn by one of the stages.  Check out the muslim looking guy getting into the music at the corner of the stage. He was grooving and taking his own pictures

The stage for the after race party was in the little 'village" of  stuff to sale to runners.
Two of these walkers were working the crowd. 

I took a long walk around the park while waiting for the Botanical Garden to open and enjoyed both the park and the incoming runners. I was looking for the wood ducks which I remembered as breeding on an island in the park, but didn't locate them. Coots, domestic mallards, and muscovies were the birds of the day. 

Flying muscovy

Coot framed by Spanish moss

Then I went back to the Botanical Garden, which I'd located earlier.  The doors were STILL locked at a little after 10:00 A.M. Then I saw the note saying that they were closed for the marathon.  I decided to make another pass around the Sculpture Garden behind the art museum and found it was open.  I spent at least another hour there.

A very open variety of saucer magnolia

I loved how the sculpture garden maintained the native plants

Loved this LOVE sculpture but wished I could have taken in in the late afternoon

I love mobiles and enjoyed this simple one

This was my favorite sculpture - a mass of abstract violins

A close up view of the violins

This huge pin was a neat counterpoint to the more traditional sculptures

I think this statue would look best when lying on the ground looking up at it. 

I enjoyed these warriors from outside the park, then from inside. They were
 even more interesting when I found they were done by a woman, Elisabeth Frink,
an important  20th century British Sculptor

I loved the detail on the "skin"

A View down one of the park roads - all closed to all but park workers

A typical view throughout south Louisiana

This quilt must have be sculptured in fiberglass

You can rent kayaks to play in the bayou that runs through the park

These ladies had just finished the half marathon - I actually asked them to pose for me and traded taking their pictures on their phones for this one. 

I saw many runners togged out like this

The Geico gecko was giving high fives to the half marathon finishers

So I got to have an adventure without having to lose anything from my bucket list. And in a few more weeks, the garden should be in full spring bloom. I'll make sure to get back there soon.