Well, it's now Memorial Day Weekend!

And here I am!

Yesterday I went to Genesee Country Village and Museum with someone who'd not been there before!  It was blistering hot and I went through my water bottle faster than anyone SHOULD go through that much water.  BUT it was a great day and completely unlike this time last year.

I am going to post pictures of flowers for the most part.  I'm not a good enough photographer that they're going to be wonderful, but oh goodness, the poppies!   And the heirloom peonies!  And the foxglove!  Not to mention...

Okay - I'll be semi-quiet now...Stop it!  I CAN be semi quiet!  Sort of.  If gagged.

This is the blossom of the tulip tree.  No, it's not a tree full of tulips, but the blossoms DO look very much like a standard tulip.  To my surprise (mostly because I usually arrive at the museum after the last of the tulip trees is just about done blossoming) there are several of these trees on site!

Here is a shot of the tree - can you spot the individual blossoms?  I tried hard to get back light enough so they looked as illuminated as they did in real time, but the tree is quite high and I didn't have an extension ladder to get closer.

The tree's formal name is the Liriodendron, and they are related to magnolias.  But Tulip Tree is kind of a neat name and fits...sooo...

There were several spikes of foxglove in the formal garden at the Livingston-Backus house.  The colors were lovely, and I thought this one was the most striking of the group.  The flowers almost looked artificial, they were so perfect.

These are double peonies and very lovely.

I've put in several pictures of the heirloom peonies that can be found in the garden in front of the gazebo behind the Octagon House...There were banks of them and many were just ready to bloom.  It was a really spectacular sight!

The biggest show offs were the poppies.  And I don't mean maybe - I just wish I could have captured them better...!

This is the blossom of a horse chestnut.  The center of each little bunch of flowers is pink and quite festive!.  Remember, however, that horse chestnuts are not edible, unlike their non-horsy cousins...

Iris aplenty...

More forget me nots than there had been two weeks ago, and there were bunches then!

And the tiny flowers that can appear underfoot when one isn't looking!

There were even flowering things in the vegetable garden - these are, possibly, the blossom of the chive although I could be way off in left field on that one!

That rarity, a shy peony!  It was, I have a feeling, somewhat overwhelmed by its bright orange cousins next door!

And there you have some colorful creaturse that defied the heat, the wind,and the presence of any number of school children visiting the Museum for the day.  There were many more, but I don't think my pictures did them justice, so these are what I decided to post today!

Next time?  A Japanese meditation garden in Gateshead, England!  

Hugs to you all!  Have a most excellent day!