More of Monet's Gardens at Giverny?

Spring is in the air and gardeners anxiously await the first blooms in the garden. To boost my enthusiasm, I peruse the volumes of garden photos that I've taken in the springtime—my own garden as well as those that I have visited.

I always find myself studying the hundreds of photos that I took at Claude Monet's gardens at Giverny, France in May 2009. Are you ready for more Monet? 

Monet's Gardens at Giverny, France
The Clos Normand, May 2009.

Looking through a veil of purple. 

The beautiful Tamarisk tree
(can be invasive in some areas).

Perfectly planted in pink.

Lawn and garden merge.
No doubt the foliage of spent daffodils in the grass.

Another Monet moment?

We're returning to France in April 2011. Monet's gardens in early April will be filled with tulips and other spring bulbs. Will we take the train out of Paris for a return trip?

Sometimes seeing less can reveal more—as in the bones or structure of a garden that may be hidden behind the billowing blooms in peak season.

I may be ready for another Monet moment.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.