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| On Friday we headed off to the fabulous Chicago Botanic Garden. Not everbody had arrived at this point. Joining us later that day were Babs, Drema, David, Jim, Marie and Lynn. If you weren't at IU3 and ever find yourself in the Chicago area, don't miss this place. It was beautifully maintained and creatively planted. A perfect stop for this group of CHAD (Compulsive Hortucultural Aquisition Disorder) sufferers. As far as I'm concerned, Idyllunion is at the top of my list of events for the year. If you were unable to make it this time, start planning for next year.
Here's a cross section of the crew checking out the trial garden. From L to R, V's DH, Cindy, V, Honey, Michelle, Michelle's DH, Monique and Les
A focal point sculpture in the trial garden.
Some views from around the garden.
I loved the plantings on the pergola cross beams outside of the main building.
A container for Deanne. There were many creative containers and annual bedding displays throughout the garden.
After the Botanic garden and in the true spirit of Idyllunion we stopped at three nurseries in quick sucession. All of them were filled with lots of interesting things. If I wasn't flying I would have stocked up. Dinner and frivolity that night was at V's. Not too shabby, eh?
Give these people some more drinks!
The party in full swing.
And what party would be complete without a dog or two. Meet Mystic.
To see the rest of the pictures I have from Friday, check out the link below. Sue |
Here is a link that might be useful: IU3 Day 1
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by gardeningmary (My Page) on Tue, Jul 25, 06 at 22:13
| Bravo Sue - great photos. How fun to relive some of the moments. I'll add some of mine tomorrow - they are not as clear as yours but still capture the flavor. You are right on about it being one of the highlights of the year. Mary |
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| Thanks Sue for sharing your photos. Beautiful garden and V's home is fabulous (words aren't coming easily...everything sounds so trite). T. |
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- Posted by michelle_zone4 zone 4 NW IA (My Page) on Tue, Jul 25, 06 at 23:23
| Sue, I can tell we walked together at the Botanic Gardens as you have many of the same shots that I have. Tonight Rick asked me to burn a CD of my pictures so he could take it to work. I think he may have had a good time ;o) A good sign for making it to IU4. By the way my containers survived my going to IU3 quite well. The timer worked and they got a daily drink and are looking full and lush. Michelle |
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- Posted by full_bloom z5 IL (My Page) on Wed, Jul 26, 06 at 8:46
| Thanks Sue for starting this! I will be saving lots of pictures since my memory card went bad! :-( When it rains it pours...my connection here is bad too and don't know how long I'll be connected so if you guys don't hear from me for a few days, you'll know why! Looks like you guys had a blast...I'm so sorry I missed the botanic gardens. I'll have to make the effort to get out there this year. Ei |
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- Posted by babs_clare (My Page) on Wed, Jul 26, 06 at 10:29
Mary and Taryn enjoying the English walled garden...I really loved the lead cistern next to them. If only we could have been served tea and crumpets; )
~Babs |
Here is a link that might be useful: CBG
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| I was probably the first to get in Thurs. While waiting for everyone to arrive for dinner, I snapped these photos of V's quaint and lovingly restored park in the center of the Town Square.
Jailhouse -- note the cobblestone streets
Some of the group ate lunch here Sat.
Incredible restoration of the Opera House:
Beautifully restored buildings with quaint little shops all around the Town Square:
This is where we had a yummy dinner Thurs. nite:
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- Posted by triple_creek z5 (My Page) on Wed, Jul 26, 06 at 15:51
| Whoo Hoo! Thanks for sharing everyone. Vs house and town look so welcoming. Looks like everyone had a good time. Sue I agree about the beam planting. I really like that combination. Babs,I really enjoyed your lake shot. Honey thanks for showing us the quaint Town. By the way you sure are looking thin. Congrats on that. V, I love your house. I always wanted a log home but decided the upkeep would be to much. Although every house has plenty of that. |
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- Posted by babs_clare (My Page) on Wed, Jul 26, 06 at 17:42
| Didn't get to tell you yesterday Sue,that I really liked your pics-in particular that shot of the fountains among the cannas is quite eye-catching. I wish I had gotten there sooner so I could have seen more there. Michelle that's so neat that Rick is showing interest in the pics. I'm so glad we finally got to meet both of you! Honey-nice to have pics from the square...that place will never be the same after the idyll invasion lol. I wonder if V was the center of town gossip: ) It really was a quaint place to go. ~Babs |
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- Posted by babs_clare (My Page) on Wed, Jul 26, 06 at 18:01
I only have one pic from the garden center we visited after the CBG...we came upon this greyhound(or is it a Whippet?) and thought of Cynthia. Maybe she'll peek in and say hi. We think you need this in your garden: )  ~B |
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| Honey, great idea to take pictures of the town square. Babs, do I need to click your link to see the missing pictures of Mary admiring the local flora and fauna...lol. Sue |
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- Posted by full_bloom z5 IL (My Page) on Thu, Jul 27, 06 at 8:45
| Honey...thanks for sharing those pics...isn't V's town the most charming place? I fell in love instantly! :-) Is that a Liquidamber, Babs? Do you grow that one at home? :-) Love your last pic too of the greyhound...I love the colors! Ei |
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| I’m glad you guys liked the pix of the town. I wasn’t sure how big the farmer’s mkt would be Sat and thot it might obscure the town square. V told me that they pipe in the classical music b/c the kids had taken over the square so others couldn’t enjoy it. Once they added the music, the kids left, families and oldsters returned. I thot that was an ingenious solution. Thanks, Norma, for noticing I’m a few lbs. less! When I see myself in pix I still hear my DB’s from when I was a kid, "Tubby, Tubby 2x4" etc. Babs, thanks to you too. What a nice thing for you to say! You guys are giving me the inspiration I really need to stay on the wagon and continue with improved eating habits. But OMG, the chips, pizza and margaritas tasted SOOOOOO GOOD, didn’t they?!. Sue, I’m so glad you got that shot of the arbor. That’s one I really wanted that didn’t come out for me. I was so impressed with it. I'm going to write CBG and ask them what that gorgeous lemon colored daylily is on the path to the trial gardens. The tag sad it was "Lady Eva", but that was't for the lemon colored one. I realy liked it for the color, the huge blooms, ruffled edges and thick texture. |
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- Posted by chloehoover z6b VA (My Page) on Thu, Jul 27, 06 at 20:31
| Great photos, ladies!! My own humble offerings wont surpass any of these that's for sure. Honey, check out the CBG website re the daylily - they have a listing of things blooming currently but I don't remember what garden/walk those lovely yellow ones were on. Here's a shot I like from the CBG:
Also, does this one count towards record quantity of "bum" shots? LOL:
here's link to my Day 1 photos of CBG - I think I was in such awe of V's place somehow I didnt take any photos.....: |
Here is a link that might be useful: Chloehoover's CBG shots
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| Great shots Sue, Babs, Honey and Cindy! Love that ‘La Petite Creperie’ photo Honey-the food there was fantastique, magnifique… Here are a few photos, but most of you have already covered most of the ones I took, a benefit to posting later in the week LOL Chicago Botanic Garden: Drema, Mary, Taryn & Babs Down the flowered hillside path… Goldfinch perched on a coneflower Fields of Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’-one of my favorite perennials
V next to the largest Coleus I’ve ever seen Mystic & Sunrise frolicking Surprising sunset views LOL (Sunrise decided to invade my photo op of V’s DH-sorry) |
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- Posted by babs_clare (My Page) on Fri, Jul 28, 06 at 11:02
| Oh Monique that pic of the hillside path is GREAT-I love the two little boys grinning for the camera and just the whole compositiion of that shot: )Nice! Great pics of all...yes,even Sunrise lol. I probably have too many echinacea in my garden at home but seeing finches perched on the blooms is the coolest thing so I keep them! ~B |
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- Posted by michelle_zone4 zone 4 NW IA (My Page) on Fri, Jul 28, 06 at 11:26
| Monique, I love the picture of all the coneflowers. It shows how a common, simple flower planted in a mass can be so striking. Poor Sunrise, is nothing sacred? LOL Michelle |
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| Sunrise's photo brings a whole new meaning to 'bum shot'. ;o) I'm enjoying seeing all the photos! Thank you to everyone for taking the time to upload their photos! T. |
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- Posted by full_bloom z5 IL (My Page) on Fri, Jul 28, 06 at 12:45
| Gorgeous shots everyone! Cindy I especially love the one with the liatris and perovskia...the bum shot isn't bad either...LOL! :-) Oh and those beautiful pond shots...yumm! I see you and Monique were similarly taken with the pond...beautiful pics Monique. That Echinacea one is so artistic! Lovely! I love that persicaria too and have been thinking about using it out front. Is it terribly aggressive and do you think it would do well in an open northern exposure? Love to know what the girls were laughing about...that Bab's she such a cutie! :-) Thanks everyone for sharing all these. My photoalbums is getting pretty full...but please keep them coming! :-) |
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