My Old Kentucky Home

My apologies for not writing regularly lately, My mother has been ill and now that she is much better I've begun a long vacation. While our friends, Bob and Kasey take care of our home,  Jeff and I are taking a few weeks to RV our way out to Lake Tahoe, Nevada to see our daughter, son and daughter-in-law. For this blog I will concentrate on the flora and fauna of our trip to see more about our trip, check out my other blog, From Waverly to Tahoe.  There is a link to in on this page.

Our first stop brought us to Judge John Rowan's estate in Bardstown Kentucky.  Judge Rowan was Stephen Foster's cousin. Foster visited here and was inspired to write My Old Kentucky Home. 

The estate is part of Kentucky's state park system, though it looks like a section is being used as a golf course. I haven't researched it but I suspect the golf section was sold to help support the Park.  What is still part of the park is interesting and beautiful.
While we decided to forgo touring the actual house but did enjoy the grounds and gardens. While walking through a closed in area, we watched a gardener snipping away at a boxwood hedge.
Speaking of boxwood, there was a courtyard just outside the door of the visitor center that was lined with small boxwood bushes.  The courtyard was closed in on three sides with a portico across the open end. The aroma of boxwood filled my nostrils as I walked through the doors into the opening. From the path from the portico steps lead down to the Rowan family cemetery and on around toward the Judge's home.

Vines covered out buildings on the way to the formal gardens.

I'll let you  have some time alone in the formal gardens. . .

 Though you do have a little visitor with you as you enjoy the plantings.

It is time to leave the gardens as we say good-bye to the lady who remains. Tomorrow, we'll visit a different kind of garden along our road to Oklahoma. If you are impatient, or want to see a few more photos of the Rowan estate, go to my other blog to yesterday's entry.