Peaceful moments await you
These magenta flowers at a Tsumago doorway caught my eye early in our visit, so I was happy to see them again the next day at Nabana no Sato, a sort of flower garden theme park which describes itself in its brochure as *A small, dream-like village located on the banks of the Nagara River.* Some family friends took us there on a day trip and I was able to identify the pompom flowerettes as gomphera.
Gomphera and marigolds
Though the overall grounds were beautiful, they were easily rivaled by their famed, indoor begonia garden.
For maximum impact, click photos to enlarge.
Notice the seating area, dated and available for group photo ops.
I'm not even particularly a begonia fan, but it was difficult to stop shooting photos of them until we proceeded to....
...the cosmos fields, which were surrounded on three sides by dahlia beds.
These blossoms were about the size of cabbages.
In addition to the gardens and greenhouses, the village is home to a wedding chapel, beer garden, numerous restaurants and snack stops (rose and lavender soft serve ice cream...surprisingly delicious) and a welcome sight to departing guests, a hot springs footbath. Ahhh.
As they say in their brochure, Nabana no Sato is a spacious oasis with a perfect balance of beautiful nature and modern facilities. Enjoy a visit with your family, friends or partner. Like our beautiful oilseed rape vista, peaceful moments await you.
I might have phrased that a bit differently.
That place is gorgeous in photos, it must be absolutely breathtaking in person. Thanks for sharing it!
Posted by:Carole | October 09, 2007 at 03:44 PM
How absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing your trip with us!
Posted by:Angela | October 09, 2007 at 04:12 PM
I love those photos! Particularly the one that looks like a garden oasis!! I love to take photos of plants and vegetables because the colours are always so stunning! Their description did make me laugh a little!!
Posted by:Di | October 09, 2007 at 05:28 PM
Oh, that is so funny. Of course, "oilseed rape," I believe, is what canola oil is made from. One time when driving through England, I saw these giant fields of gorgeous yellow and asked my companions what that was. They said, "Rape." I had this big question mark over my head for a long time after that, until I eventually found out what it was. Such an unfortunate name for a pretty plant...
Posted by:Norma | October 09, 2007 at 07:39 PM
how beautiful! those dahlias remind me of the kaffe fabrics =)
Posted by:gray la gran | October 09, 2007 at 08:03 PM
What an amazing garden, the flowers just took my breath away. I love begonias!
Posted by:Janice | October 09, 2007 at 10:36 PM
Overwhelmingly beautiful! Captured perfectly on film.
Posted by:cindy | October 09, 2007 at 10:47 PM
oooh, pretty. Love those gompheras and marigolds. and the cosmos. The individual flowers are gorgeous but that greenhouse is just too orderly for me. yeah, rape vista just doesn't have a good ring to it and rapesee vista isn't much of an improvement.
Posted by:Tonya R | October 10, 2007 at 01:52 AM
amazing flowers... and don't you love those 'translated' English signs?
I once saw a sofa in Italy adverstised as 'skin' sofa, instead of leather... in Italian we use the same term... but oh how I laughed! Hannibal Lecter would have approved!!
Posted by:monica | October 10, 2007 at 07:52 AM
what a great way to begin the day...thank you so much. The begonias are breathtaking in the pictures. I can't imagine how it must be to stand there surrounded by such beauty.
Posted by:dee | October 10, 2007 at 08:53 AM
Absolutely gorgeous! I love photographing flowers and visiting gardens. Oddly enough, when I was a (very) young lass, I hated flowers! Now I am just in awe at their complexity and beauty.
Re: the "oilseed rape vista" - as far as I know, the US is the only country to not call this plant Rapeseed, but Canola.
Posted by:Shannon | October 10, 2007 at 09:48 AM
Wonderful photos. I can understand not being able to stop clicking with all the floral beauty around you! I loved driving by the rolling fields of rape in Scotland. I think your other commenters are right - we Americans are odd ones out on that one.
Posted by:Nancy | October 10, 2007 at 01:31 PM
Love the photos...thanks for the visit to Japan. Added a link to your blog from mine oregonquilt@blogspot.com
Posted by:quilt crazy | October 10, 2007 at 04:37 PM
Thank you for the beautiful photos of the flowers. I love begonias and those dahlias are just wonderful. I especially like the ruffled begonia. It looks like pleated organdy with stitching on the edges of the petals.
Posted by:Wanda | October 10, 2007 at 07:53 PM
Oh my Jan. Divine. Thank you thank you thank you :)
BTW, we call it canola here in Australia too!
Posted by:Cascade Lily | October 11, 2007 at 06:52 AM
Oooh, I really wish to be in a place like this someday! I think I would be "flower drunk" but delighted!
Great pictures, thank you for sharing.
:)
Posted by:sara | October 11, 2007 at 06:53 AM
I'm speechless. Oh how beautiful!
Posted by:Katie | October 11, 2007 at 08:33 AM
I've never seen anything quite like that before. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Posted by:Vicki in Michigan | October 11, 2007 at 11:28 AM
Wow, I love all the flowers - especially that there are so many purpley ones. Spectacular. Of course, in real life, allergies would probably have dropped me in my tracks, so vicariously is a fine way to experience this! ;)
Posted by:Chris | October 14, 2007 at 12:23 PM