VanDusen or Bust

Yesterday my friend Catherine and I went to the Oak Street Farmer's Market at the Unitarian Church on Oak Street. We found lots of goodies including zucchini, garlic scapes, hazel nuts, strawberries and lime tarts. It is a very laid-back market with friendly, chatty vendors and a food truck selling smoothies, tea, and fruit popsicles. I was determined to spend some time at Van Dusen Gardens because it was such a glorious day and close to the market. We had a short but fruitful visit, smelling the heritage roses and laying in the cool grass looking up at the impossibly blue sky.

I didn't get a good photo, but there was a bright turquoise dragon fly posing on these purple buds.

I'm not sure what these are, but they should be called kitten tails.

I'm very happy with these nepeta borders around the roses. It increases the amount of bee forage at the garden and you can actually smell the roses. Out with the box hedge I say! Roses for the people!

This damask rose smells like heaven. Note how dark the buds are.

This is the Bourbon rose.

We both liked this red rust on brown rust foliage and vowed we'd come back on another day and bring our drawing materials.