Waterlily

It's not Monet's garden but the waterlily pond at the Norton Simon Musuem in Pasadena.  I guess being art related makes it count for something. 

"Waterlily"     © Kathy Dunham 2011

Afternoon Delight

I spotted this beautiful camellia late one afternoon in Descanso Gardens (near Pasadena) and could feel the glow as the late day sun penetrated the petals. A winter/spring flower, the camellia doesn't grow too well in our desert climate. Thankfully I'm but a two hour drive to spectacular "forests" of this delightful flower in two venerable gardens. The Descanso and the Huntington Gardens both boast 30 foot tall groves of a wide variety of this dramatic blossom.

"Afternoon Delight" © Kathy Dunham 2009

Tulip Tree

I spotted these unique blossoms at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena last year. I had never seen anything quite like them. So vibrantly colorful they didn't look real. Although they're an Eastern tree, they were growing quite prolifically in the museum's inner garden.

"Tulip Tree" © Kathy Dunham 2008