Flowers of The Little Hills

One of the nice things about traveling in the summer

is seeing flowers everywhere one goes.

Yesterday I shared some photos of gardens 

along Main Street in St. Charles, Missouri,

once known as "The Little Hills" or in French, Les Petite Cotes.

Today, some of the historic district's beautiful flowers and plants are on display.

For example, here is a pot of begonias that has reached a stunning size:

And planted around the base of the column which held the begonia pot

was this mound of lantana, coleus, and sweet potato vine:

Nothing pleases people more than the ancient art of topiary.

The gardener's combination of skill and whimsy delighted

all who happened by the clipped greenery when I was there. 

Here is a gathering of butterflies adorning an alley:

and nearby, the symmetry of kissing swans:

And speaking of whimsy, 

this house had loads of it right out the back door:

I know in yesterday's blog I mentioned this thing called a bull boat,

but it is incongruous with photos of  flowers, topiaries, 

and brightly colored wind toys,

so tomorrow we will journey back to the early 1800s

and see just what it is.

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