Searching for signs of Spring

 Last week we traveled south to Arkansas and stayed in a camper trailer.  We had sold our camper a few years ago, since then our daughter and husband purchased a small unit for their use.  Our son-in-law Spencer had driven it down here a couple weeks ago, for his father to use. A couple months ago, when the plans for use of the camper were being made, it sounded wonderful for John and I also to make use of the trailer in Arkansas once it was it was vacated. We would get out of the cold weather of Missouri and experience an early Spring! Sounded good in theory, but several days after we arrived the camper was surrounded by 2 inches of snow, and the temperature was in the mid twenties. We had learned about Garvan Woodland Gardens, near Hot Springs, and planned that as our first excursion out before the bad weather arrived and froze out the plants.   We had made a call to the gardens and learned that there were plenty of plants in bloom at the present time, unfortunately the tulips were just starting to open.

 Shortly after we had arrived at the gardens we hurried over to the daffodil hill looking for the large open areas of blooming plants.  We saw many people involved with the covering of the plants before the freeze which was to come that evening.

 

The colored mesh clothes which you see above were being laid over the flowers, with plastic material later laid on top of them.  I rushed over to the area wanting to scream out "stop, let me look at them first".  But I refrained from doing so and soon discovered that there were still plenty of  blooming plants to been seen.

 

Before going further, I wish to explain these gardens a bit more and how they came about. Verna Cook Garvan inherited the land from her father. He purchased the property in the 1920s for his timber business.  His daughter, upon inheriting the land, had no desire to continue the company after running the brick,tile and lumber business for many years with her husband Patrick Garvan. She saw the future of the beautiful peninsula on the shores of Lake Hamilton as a place to channel her love of gardening and conservancy.  After many years of working toward that goal, and realizing She wanted a garden of a grander scale than she could handle, she signed a trust agreement with the University of Arkansas School of Architecture in 1985.  Consequently, these gardens have many unique and natural settings. 

The Garden of the Pine Woods features a series of pools,waterfalls,walks and bridges designed by Japanese garden designer David Slawson.

Pictured above is the Old Brick Hill from brick manufactured in 1885 and salvaged from the chimney on the old boiler at a lumber company. There is an autumn leaves pattern in which the bricks are laid.

Anthony Chapel

This glass chapel, in the gardens, has a 60-foot high roof with souring columns. The windows are 55 feet tall.  It all seems to so naturally fit in with the soaring trees surrounding the chapel.

Evans Children's Adventure Garden

What a delightful place this is, for children to experience a three-level tree house, a maze of boulders,  and a man-made cave to explore. While they are involved with that, the adults can take in the outstanding lake and woodland views.

Ouachita Mountain Vista

I still have so much more to share with you regarding these gardens, especially many of the blooming spring flowers! My next posting will cover that.