More Allen Centennial Rock Garden

The Amazing Perk: By implementing this style of rock garden, you can create actual typography! In the tradition of Asian gardens, you could develop metaphorical landscapes in flat Midwestern spaces...in green fashion via recycling & lower water use.

Marvelous Gardens in Madison: (Part I) Allen Centennial

After recently visiting Volo Blog, I then meandered through the rain up to Madison. There I spend a wonderfully relaxing, sustaining weekend with dear friends, Linda Brazill & Mark Golbach. When the clouds parted, we toured the UW-Madison garden: Allen Centennial, an educational delight. The garden really engaged me. Linda with her 25 years of outstanding journalistic experience and Mark with his art background and fine camera tell the garden details on the August 12th post on their marvelous blog: Each Little World. Some of my photos assist in the telling...

The one observation I'd like to add can be seen above. What a creative solution to recycling left-over flagstone! One of the most interesting rock gardens I've seen.

Birds in Volo Bog

Mystery bird creates atmosphere...

...Great Egrets: from a distance, I saw ten!

Volo Bog In A Nice Rain

Last Friday was a lucky day for my first visit to Volo Bog, the only Quaking Bog with an open-water center in Illinois. Who would have imagined it would be 70 and raining? Just me and the plants & the birds and insects galore.

Couldn't photograph much due to rain...above see boardwalk through bog in all its marvelous green. Below I was able to take shelter in a blind.

For best quick summary, Google Chicago Wilderness article: that inspired me to go.