Last month after dinner, my two friends and I decided to spend our monthly girls night out walking and visiting at the Manito Park and Botanical Garden in Spokane, Washington. Manito means 'spirit of nature' in native American language. The 90 acre park is more than one hundred years old and still managed to live up to its name. I come here often to see what's blooming and what I imagine will look good in Lola's Garden.
The Rose Hill above is an All American Selection test garden and the home of 1500 rose bushes representing 165 varieties of hybrid tea, floribunda, grandiflora and miniature roses. But no close ups or macros until I acquired the nerve to upgrade my point and shoot camera.
The Joel E. Ferris Perennial Garden is the flower lover's favorite place to stroll from early spring to fall. During our visit the Moonshine Yarrow, the white Shasta Daisy, the purple Garden Monkshood (above) and the Globe thistles (below) were in full bloom.
The thistles were 6-7 foot tall, and were swarming with bees. It looked really cool but probably not a very practical plant for a home garden unless the area is big enough to accommodate the prickly and aggressive plant.
The Duck Pond used to have more than a hundred ducks and geese but most of them were adopted and relocated during the 2008 duck round up. It was once a tradition for people to bring their stale bread when they visit the park. Feeding the ducks is pure entertainment. They will jump, dive and do all kinds of acrobatic move to get the stale bread as if they had nothing to eat all week. We think we are doing them a favor and we feel good feeding them. Unaware that we were doing them more harm than good. And people continued to give them junk food until there were too many wild birds staying in the pond year round just waiting for the hand out. Too many birds and too many stale bread equals too many bird poops. And the pond's ecosystem suffered. This is the reason for the duck round up and relocation. And feeding the ducks is no longer allowed.
I am not sure what this aquatic turtle is trying to tell me. My guess is that his world, the water is still too murky. "Help!"Please go to Friends of Manito for more information about the park and gardens
What a lovely park, the flowers are beautiful. I can just imagine how wonderful the scents must have been. The thistle is so pretty but not something I would want in my garden.
ReplyDeleteI really like the little turtle with his head just poking out of the water. I'm with you though the water does look a little too murky.
Have a great week,
SQ
Hi Lola, This is a wonderful park to be inspired and get ideas. It is just so wonderful to see plantings at such a grand scale. Usually these places are not over peopled either. It is fun feeding the ducks but it is understandable that it is getting to messy, and it is better for the ducks to find their own food as this takes up a good part of their time. Since years I have a couple of native,crested pigeons who come every day when I feed the chickens and Mrs.Benteli. I can't resist giving them a few grains. Just now they have made the nest in a bush where we pass all the time. It is such a makeshift nest it looks like she was in a hurry to lay her eggs. She is sitting and her tail feathers are sticking out. She does not seem to be fazed that we plus Billy pass her. In my garden I am planting new Daylilies and relocating the Cannas as they have become crowded by other plants.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lola for your visit.