Seaside Gardens

Since I was on vacation again last week and wasn't able to post easily to my blog, I decided to take pictures of some gardens in my neighborhood and share them with you when I got home.

All of these gardens are very close to the ocean, if not right next to it.  As you can see the sea air does wonders for plants and flowers.

It just so happened the day I chose to take photos was the day all the lawn mowing companies were out mowing lawns, making it difficult to get nice photos.  Here are some of the best ones.
 

I was nervous about photographing other people's gardens but while taking this picture, I was told by a passerby that "people are always taking pictures of that house!"  Therefore, I wasn't nervous anymore. If others could do it, why couldn't I? This house is on the way to the beach and every August we marvel at these beautiful perennial habiscus plants.

 There are dark pink flowers...

 Light pink flowers...

 and red habiscus flowers.  Beautiful!

 I wanted to get a better picture of this garden but there was a landscaping truck parked to the immediate right of this photo.  The other side of this garden is even prettier!

 This wild sweet pea plant grows naturally along a seaside road.  Such lovely color!

 More lovely gardens

 Purple Cleome, Shasta Daisy and Lime Hydrangea

 This is not the best photo I took that day but there's a funny story that goes along with it.  Again, I was nervous about taking photos of someone else's garden.  However, the owner of this house was so excited to see that I was taking a picture of hers that she lead me to another part of the garden and said, "You have to see this plant!"

   This is a pineapple lily.  My new gardening friend told me a neighbor had divided a clump of this lily and given it to her.  She said she had planted it a little late this year (She couldn't remember where she had stored the bulb over the winter!) and that was why it was blooming so late in the summer.  I am going to check my bulb magazines this fall and order a pineapple lily for my garden!  I just loved it!