I was enamoured by this display of Baby Blue Eyes, Nemophila menziesii. I have always been a sucker for blue eyes and when I came around the corner and these Blue Eyes were winking subtly I could hardly take my eyes off of them.
Even as I walked on the calm mesmerising sea of blue called. This is one blue eye I will have to try to work into the garden even though it is an annual.
The Chicago Botanic Garden is so large and chocked full of gardens to be admired I couldn't resist the lure of the Railroad Garden. You see, I have always wanted a railroad garden. Not many people have known this about me. Now you know.
I don't know what it is about them that I like so much. Maybe it is a perfect life style displayed...
Or familiar places that can be brought right into your garden...
Or the minature plants used to landscape the scenes...
Hearing voices from the past...
Or the marvelous display of the trains themselves. Tiny versions of various trains whizzing around the tracks...
like the garden fairies that wander the garden. Only...
you can keep an eye on these sprites as they roam the garden wheter they are low or...
riding high as my spirit was while viewing the many trains.
This would be a great way a gardener could combine the past with the future and arrive at the best of places...in the garden.
Lisa, what fun we had and I, too, loved the Baby Blue eyes! Must have some. Thanks for posting on the trains as I missed that display. Best to Tina!
ReplyDeleteWhat a funny display! Never seen a railroad garden! What vivid imagination the garden people have! Baby Blue eyes are charmin. Thank you Lisa!
ReplyDeleteIf we only had the space in our gardens to do things like that. Of course we would need an army of gardeners to weed and water.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy those little train setups too.
Marnie
I loved the model railway gardens, too. I'm also a sucker for baby blue eyes. Right now my blue-eyed grass has buds, which will open a bit later when the sun hits them. Also fantabulous!
ReplyDeleteLisa, What a charming garden! Thanks for the tour...I was wandering in the native plants and saw the Baby Blue Eyes...did you notice the few white flowered ones? Just lovely...Have a good weekend~~gail
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your photos of the train garden. I've been to CBG twice now and have never felt compelled to see the trains, but now I think maybe I've missed something special. Is a train garden a northern thing? I've never heard of one in the south.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a gorgeous place!!! Those blooms are fabuloous.
ReplyDeleteNow this is a view of the gardens that most bloggers didn't take note of in their posts--but I for one am glad you did, because I love it too! We've visited a few places where I've seen these little train gardens...and I've always been enamored by them;-)
ReplyDeleteYour post is clever, as well!
I just love the miniature plants of railroad gardens. I hope you install one. If you want to see another great railroad garden, there's one in North Barrington that is usually on the Open Days schedule. I went last June and had to split the visit into two posts.
ReplyDeleteLisa....I love the miniature gardens....I have never seen train gardens before...Riley would of course like them, I think Mr P would to.
ReplyDeleteI just love the detail.....could you not have one in your lovely garden?
The poppies have caught my eye on all the spring fling bloggers. I am really taken with the display and am seriously thinking of a poppy border next year.....
Have a great weekend....
What a treat! the poppies first, then the railroad train garden. SO cute.
ReplyDeleteDelightful train garden, I love it!
ReplyDeleteMarnie, you are so right about needing space in our gardens for more things. I have lots in my head that will never develop in our small garden. WHINE~~
ReplyDeleteMonica, my blue eyed grass is now blooming. I lost one this winter but the other two look just fine.
Gail, I didn't really see the white ones in with the blue eyes. I guess I just focused on the blue.
Pam, RR gardens are not just a northern thing. Actually they would be perfect for a southern garden because you would never have to worry about putting them away for the winter. There are magazines devoted to this style of gardening. I suspect because the plants are not easy to come by and the trains aren't cheap the RR gardens are not as plentiful as other gardens. One of the best RR gardens I have seen (on tv) was in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Of course they have all that rock to play and build with.
Barbara, don't tempt me to come up there again. I would love to see the RR garden in Barrington. I just discovered that I have a cousin that just moved to Barrington from Texas. It would be fun to see her again too. We arrived so late to your house I didn't get to enjoy your garden as much as I would have liked to. I could do a threefer. tee hee...
Dear Lisa,
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun garden a train garden would be.
You must have had so much fun.
the Blue Eyes are lovely.
Sherry
How adorable - I love the little miniature village :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend Lisa!
ooooo... I just love garden railroads! I"ve been toying with the idea myself.... thinking maybe I could start with just the houses and mini plants... ahhhh... what fun!
ReplyDeleteBaby blue eyes are fabulous!
Oh Lisa, I didn't realize it was like a miniature village, I thought it was a train people ride on, like an amusement park. Rats. Too cool. Thanks for showing it, and we await your own train garden to begin shortly. :-)
ReplyDeleteFrances
All these flowers are amazing. The blue eyes are captivating. And so are the miniatures!
ReplyDeleteLoved that railroad garden. So cute.
ReplyDeleteLisa, thank you for sharing all these photos--I missed all of this! I'm especially excited to see the Baby Blue Eyes; Cheryl gave me some seed, and I had no idea what they would look like. Now I am really hoping mine bloom like this!
ReplyDeleteMy dad has always loved model railroads, and some of that has rubbed off on me, too. I've saved my ticket to the Railroad Garden in the hopes that I will get back there again this summer.
We talked about going to see the railroad garden, but didn't do it. Thanks for showing us a glimpse of it!
ReplyDeleteYes, Baby Blue Eyes are an annual, but once you plant them, you will always have them, just like their cousin, Five Spot. Even though I have trouble getting Baby Blue Eyes to germinate well, the ones that do are persistent, as I have some blooming now and I didn't have all that many last year!
Oh my! My Sam would be in heaven there gazing at that railroad garden! :c)
ReplyDeleteLisa! You too were at the Spring Fling!!Next year I had better make plans to join you and the gals!!
ReplyDeleteI'm serious..I've seen many blogs of the gals that attended and I sure would have enjoyed this!
I would be with you..re: blue eyes...I adore blue in the garden...Monet used a lot of blue in his Giverny gardens in France!
I loved those minature gardens..how creative!!
Thank you for sharing your photos and look at you..pretty lady!!
...impressed..aNNa xo
What a great tour you gave. The Chicago Botanic Garden looks like a must see every year.
ReplyDeleteWOW love the detail in the model gardens and villages, nice post Lisa.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a unique gardens like this. Thanks for the secret:)
ReplyDeleteI super love the first shot!
Lisa it was fun seeing the happy smiling faces of both you and your sister splattered across many a blog. Like you I'm a sucker for baby blue eyes too. ;-)
ReplyDeleteLove that railway garden, I'd love to have one too and they are such fun.
I missed the railroad garden. Darn it. There was just too much to see.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you posted photos of the train garden Lisa. I wasn't able to see it. It's been really fun being able to see things I missed by visiting the blogs of others who were at SF. I only wish I'd had more time for visiting with everyone, including you and Tina.
ReplyDeleteI love the railroad garden - esp. Wrigley Field!
ReplyDeleteCan't believe it took me this long to visit your blog after SF. Your photos are beautiful!
The railroad garden is sure fun! A nice way to bring gardening and train enthusiasts together!
ReplyDelete