Light 'Play' and Gentle Breezes

I'm feeling 'garden-y' ((?) probably couldn't find that in Wikipedia) and Zen this morning.  The heat & humidity broke today, so all the windows are open and there is an amazing breeze blowing through the house.  Paging through a new issue of Garden Gate, as I sat in my 3-Season room I noticed the 'light play' on the plants in the "Shade Garden" from the morning sun.

Garden Blogger, Cat - The Whimsical Gardener has a keen eye for the art of the garden, through her photography.  I look at my garden in a whole different way now - as a photo op and perhaps some personal artwork in my home.  My favorite plant progress shots are taken at sunset (as a self-described NON-morning person, 'sunrise' shots will be few and far between).  The other evening the Cottage Garden was bathed in sunset.  Here are a few shots I was able to capture:

Sunset on the Sweet Autumn Clematis
(by my 'Budding Photographer)

'Morning Light' Maiden Grass and Perennial Hollyhock
(at Sunset)

Yellow Daylily Bloom in Sunset shadows

Arabian Nights Dahlia bloom
(Must plant more Dahlias next year!)

I'm entranced by the beauty of this garden in sunset!  

So now that my 'anchor' gardens are in place and I have a sense of closure on what's done so far - I'm back in the garden plant books and pouring through garden magazines for the next phase of planning and planting.  Many of you provided a great recommendations for my 'wishlist' in 2012 and there are a few plants I fell in love with (like Lavender) as I perused my favorite garden 'haunts'.

Borrowed from the creative talent at Microsoft Clipart

I have also had a chance to surf the Blogosphere a bit and catch up with many of your blogs.  Summer has been 'spotty' for getting online, so I am incredibly behind.  In my 'virtual' travels, I try to leave you a comment - so you know I've been by.  It still blows me away how much talent is shared in this format.  Recently Tufa Girl and Toni -Signature Gardens were doing separate whorl-wind driving tours (the real kind) and introduced me (and their readers) to Karen at Quarry Garden Stained Glass.  Many of you may already know about this talent, but if you are new to the blog as I was - stop by!  "Wow" doesn't even cover it.

Time to wrap up.  It's a busy day in our house-hold as we pack up one of the "chitlins" (my kids) for another year at college.  (Geez, I must have fallen into that 'space-time contium' again?  Somehow school is starting up, which means Summer as quickly coming to an end...)

Since my post was all about gentle breezes and "light play", here is a little 'non-garden' shot to finish out this post:

Sunset at the Pier - Gulf Shores, FL

Sunshine wishes...