Heritage Plantation

To celebrate my birthday my daughters and I went to Heritage Plantation in Sandwich, a town here on Cape Cod. It's 70 acres of planting, most famous for it's spring time display of rhododendrons and azeleas. Last year on the first weekend of June it looked like the above photo. This year we had a very early spring and all the rhodies were gone but I was not disappointed. Even before getting through the entrance I had seen my favorite flower, the peony -- as big and totally luscious as a flower can be.
Then we saw a flowering golden rain tree which was very tall and wide so that this photo really doesn't begin to show what a lovely sight it was.
Many mountain laurels were in bloom, some white and some with red and white blossoms, they were more delicate than rhodies and lucky to have a time to themselves to really shine.
We saw a couple of museums, one with rubbings and photos of 18th century gravestones and another another with wooden indians and a handful of paintings. Then we followed a winding path above and beside a lake with ducks on it, came to a labyrinth which we dutifully walked. And then strolled across a beautifully manicured rolling lawn to the hosta garden and then to the herb garden.
And to top the afternoon off we made a stop at Titcommb's bookstore in Sandwich which has a very browse-able selection of new and used books and very tastefully selected gifts. Plus Rachel discovered she knows the very personable manager. What more could one hope for?