One of my favorite pictures!

I took this picture at Crathes Castle outside of Aberdeen, Scotland.

I was just reminiscing.

Crathes Castle Walk

After my tour of Crathes Castle Gardens,
I thought Bud should see it.
It is a nice little walk from our house
so yesterday after dinner we decided to walk over.

One of the formal sitting areas of the garden.

The shrubs are all in bloom all over the castle grounds.

We thought this tree was cool because it has
a hole in the middle of the trunk.

Crathes Castle

All over the grounds they have markers to tell about the various
varieties of botany specimens that are planted throughout the estate.

This tree was planted around 1860!

It is huge!

Look at how these branches grow downward.

This tree was also planted around 1860. It is a Redwood.

I dared Bud to look in this box . . . it is a dog poop deposit box.
I didn't really think he would . . . but you know Bud!

Crathes Castle Gardens

Yesterday, my friend Sydnie and I went to Crathes Castle.
The castle is about 3 miles from my house.
It was a gloriously beautiful day!
Sunny and warm!

The pond outside the grounds.

The reflections in the pond were so brilliant.

What a sight!

A self portrait.

A view from the castle tower

I still can't get over the "green-ness" of Scotland.

Don't you wish your backyard looked like this?

This is Sydnie. Her husband and Bud work in the same building.

The Laburnum flowers were sooo fragrant.

Who thought I would find Columbine in Scotland.
Columbine has been one of my favorite flowers
since I was a little girl. We would go camping in Colorado
and the columbine would be growing wild on the mountain side.

This tree's branches are all intertwined.

The lilacs were very fragrant.
In Utah around the corner from our house
was a whole row of lilac bushes.They were about a city block long.
When I would drive down that road in the springtime,
I would drive on wrong side of the road,
with my window down, head hanging outside the window,
trying to take in their scent. I love the smell of lilacs.

Oriental Poppy. Looks like the Scottish Thistle.

I would guess these are Blue Bells, but I don't know.

Lupines

See the bee in the lilacs?

Notice the fern growing on the base of the fountain?

Geranium

Bird of Paradise

Modern Plant Art?

A Succulent

Poppy

It was an absolutely beautiful day, in a beautiful place!
I think I will go again in a few weeks.
More flowers should be in bloom.
This was the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.