Stanley Park

Summer is here in the PNW!! There is a change in the air. Not just being warmer, but in peoples spirit. Everyone has a look and sense of euphoria. I headed out to Stanley Park on the weekend to take in the sun, people watching, beach and great gardens!

Aeoniums were planted all over!

I love these black ones especially with the nice yucca gloriosa in the background.  These were taken in front of the restaurant at the Malkin Bowl.

Succulents anyone? I don't think I have ever seen more echeveria in my entire life.

 They almost look like a blanket of snow - the only kind of snow I like, blankets of pale icy blue echeveria!!!

Phormium surfer I believe....

Danger! I think I shrieked when I saw this pair of epic agave americana (you can faintly make out the one in the background).

This guy had been largely de-spiked... too bad.

I'm always amazed at how good the zone 8/9 plants looks at stanley park.... sigh.

What do you suppose this is supposed to be?

Succulent art of some kind.  I was enamoured by all these wonderful echeveria.

I'm thinking it's some kind of possessed clown.  It's creepy but a twisted side of me likes it.  If I envision the smily face to be mountains, the nose to be the sun, and the eyes/brows to be the clouds it almost becomes an even more epic landscape.  hmmm.. this could be a fun game.

I could literally spend hours exploring the gardens of Stanley Park.  Unfortunately we had some sort of schedule to keep.  Next time.

I absolutely need these!!! Prickly flowers... does it get any better?

How do you deal?

How do you deal with the "w" word ... winter that is?  I have been asking myself this for the past few days now.  Essentially, how will I cope with yet another winter swiftly upon us.  My natural inclination is to look back to the last days of summer, when everything was in its full glory.

I look back to summer evenings along the water...

wishing summer would never come to an end.

Dreaming of a world without fall, winter or early spring (late spring is okay in my books).

But inevitably the sun will set on summer.

So what do you do? Do you plan tropical vacations? Usually that follows in my decision process.  If winter is thrust upon us in the PNW, surely Hawaii or South Florida is not all that bad.

So I dream of great snorkeling...

unforgettable diners on the ocean,

Spectacular vistas,

enchanted water falls,

and all the wonders of an exotic island getaway.

Though it may relieve the winter blues and "fill the sun tank," as I like to say, inevitably, the sun does set on tropical vacations too.  There will still be a whole lot of winter to deal with.

We can try to get inspired by our own natural wonders.

 If you're like me, you'll brew never ending pots of tea and purchase hand warmers in bulk... You'll also dream of spring, reminding yourself that some years, winter ends early.

you'll remember that bananas can grow in February,

you'll remind yourself that palm trees always exude summer

and maybe this year you'll be playing beach volleyball in February.

Or maybe you will start to make plans for next years garden.  What will change? What plant lust will come home with you? Will it be another agave?

Or will you plant succulent art?

Whatever it may be, however it may look, the question remains, "how do you deal?"  I for one am not ready for the "w" word.  Bananas got chopped down, burlap is on hand for emergencies, but my heart, my summer loving heart, is not ready for winter.