Day 278 - Surreybrooke in the Rain

(Click any photo to enlarge.)

***Scroll down to see my offer for Red Cross donations.***

Terrarium in the children's
garden.

Roses peek through a lichen
covered bench.

Along the Old National Pike (in this case, Rt. 40 West) near Middletown is a garden center built on a historic property.  The original brick farmhouse, built during the Civil War, has had modern renovations and additions.  The farmhouse sits at the top of the hill above the garden center and greenhouses.  Behind it are gardens and pavilions and sheds and barns and pastures and ponds. 

My friend Gary and his wife Karen went with me to Surreybrooke today, which I chose for my walk because it is raining.  Tropical storm Andrea, the first of the season, is making its way up the coast.  I knew that I could walk the grounds (the gardens and lawns were lush and green), and if the rain or wind became troublesome, I could occasionally duck into greenhouses or outbuildings.

The original garden center at
Surreybrooke sits above terraced gardens

Alium in the rain

When we arrived, I donned my boots and rain gear and walked the perimeter of the property, leaving Gary and Karen to explore the gardens nearby.  The garden center is along Rt. 40, and there is a split rail fence bordering the highway.  Across the road there are tree covered hills that rise above the road.  Clouds and fog were clinging to the hilltops.

Lady's Mantle with crystal beads

I walked through the children's garden, along pond sides, and then crossed the little stream that divides the property.  On that side of the stream were the summer kitchen where candlemaking takes place, the big red barn, the pasture with miniature horses, a pond with water lilies, and more outbuildings.  Some were of newer construction, and some had the old stone foundations.  No matter where one went, however, there were flowers in bloom, bird houses, old rakes or chairs with pots of flowers, and thoughtful garden decorating touches throughout.

The tea house and mock orange

Goose and hen take tea

Farther up the hillside were terraced gardens, archways leading to more gardens, and finally the original shop where the garden center started, facing Hollow Road.  Next to that building was a pavilion with a brick paved patio, perfect for an outdoor event.  Karen caught up with me in the upper gardens, and we admired the coral bells, lady's mantle, digitalis, and roses.  We loved the heady scent of the towering mock orange.

Dahlia with red foliage

When the walk was finished, Karen and Gary and I spent time going through each of the greenhouses, oohing and aahing over the succulents, unusual dahlias and petunias, sweet potato vines, tuberous begonias, and coleus.  We could have spent hours at this place.  I took over 55 pictures in the rain, and I could have used every one of them in this blog; it was hard to narrow down the choices.

It must take hours and hours of weeding and pruning to keep these gardens so beautiful.  They were a perfect place for my walk today, and I hope to return soon to one of their outdoor events.  Thanks for the company, Gary and Karen!

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Forward me by email any receipt for an online donation made to the Red Cross for disaster relief, and I will send you a 5x7 print of your choice from any of my daily photo walks or from my website.  Offer good until September 2, 2013.

Visit my web site: camscamerashots.zenfolio.com
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Email:  cam.miller@comcast.net

Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

1. walk every day
2. the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
3. post a photo every day
4. use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
5. no weather excuses
6. walk only where it is safe to do so