A Photo a Week Challenge: The Street Where You Live

Posted on April 2, 2021 by johnvic8

Nancy Merrill Photography has issued an interesting challenge for this week: The Street Where You Live. In that I am now living in a retirement community on the third floor, I have elected to share a photograph of a street scene in a community here in Charlotte that was inspired by a village in England. Chipping-Campden is a beautiful collection of homes right in the middle of south Charlotte and a joy to see.

Please visit Nancy’s site at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2021/03/29/a-photo-a-week-challenge-the-street-where-you-live/ . See where she and others are sharing the street where they live.

Posted in Gardening, Photo Challenge, Things I See Around Town, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

A Photo a Week Challenge: Unexpected Focus

Posted on March 23, 2021 by johnvic8

Nancy Merrill’s challenge this week is “Unexpected Focus.” I understand that to mean, “I intended to take a photograph of a hosta, but my focus shifted to the little green tree frog taking a rest on a hosta leaf.”

Visit Nancy at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2021/03/22/a-photo-a-week-challenge-unexpected-focus/ and see her offering for the week.

Posted in Gardening, Nature, Photo Challenge, Things I See Around Town, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

A Photo a Week Challenge: ALL ABOUT THE SCENERY

Posted on March 15, 2021 by johnvic8

Nancy’s Merrill’s photo challenge subject for this week is “All About the Scenery.”

One of the most beautiful places I have visited was Linda Hostetler’s garden in The Plains, VA. These photos were taken in 2004 during a Garden Club trip. This is a priceless garden.

Visit https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2021/03/15/a-photo-a-week-challenge-all-about-the-scenery/ to see Nancy’s offering and that of others.

Posted in Gardening, Photo Challenge, Things I See Around Town, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

A Photo a Week Challenge: OFF CENTER

Posted on February 26, 2021 by johnvic8

A standard recommendation to create interesting photographs is to move the center of attention off center. It’s not just an oxymoron, but good advice. This week’s challenge from Nancy Merrill Photography is to share a photo with OFF CENTER as its focus. As I looked through my files, I was surprised to find so few photos that met her criteria. That’s a good lesson for the future.

This country farmhouse in New York is my first example:

A second offering is a photo of one of my favorites azaleas: ‘Gwenda’. It has the unusual habit of creating an occasional splash of complementary color…on the same plant.

Please visit Nancy at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2021/02/22/a-photo-a-week-challenge-off-center-2/. She and others will be sharing their compositions with us.

Posted in Gardening, Nature, Photo Challenge, Things I See Around Town, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

A Photo A Week Challenge: SOMETHING NEW

Posted on February 15, 2021 by johnvic8

SOMETHING NEW is the challenge this week from Nancy Merrill.

I captured this photo of a new arrival to my garden…this tiny bunny…just a few inches long. I was not particularly happy to see yet another rabbit preparing to take advantage of the tasty treats I had planted. But, I guess one just has to focus on how cute this wee critter really is. I wish I had found one like this when my grandkids were little. They would have loved it.

Visit Nancy at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2021/02/15/a-photo-a-week-challenge-something-new-3/ to her response this week.

Posted in Nature, Photo Challenge, Things I See Around Town, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

A Photo a Week Challenge: MOTION

Posted on February 9, 2021 by johnvic8

How to capture MOTION in a still photograph is this week’s challenge from Nancy Merrill Photography.

Almost everywhere in this world of ours one thing that is most likely in motion is water…water in rivers, steams, waterfalls, and our oceans.

Here are two examples of water in motion, one in a peaceful North Carolina mountain stream and one in a thundering Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls

Visit Nancy at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2021/02/08/a-photo-a-week-challenge-motion-2/ see her interpretation this week.

Posted in Nature, Photo Challenge, Things I See Around Town, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

An Anniversary: #7

Posted on January 31, 2021 by johnvic8

At the end of January 2014, I started A Walk in the Garden. I hoped to share some observations about one of the loves of my life–gardening–and to attract attention to the two books I published over that period.

Photography of my garden and “Things I See around Town” also worked its way into the blog, and I’ve enjoyed responding to photo challenges from photographers around the world. 

With almost 640 posts, A Walk in the Garden has reached readers in over 140 nations. I am blessed by a number of followers, many of whom have become “blogofriends,” whose blogs and comments have enriched my life. Some have even bought my books and made reassuring comments about them. 

It has been fun to combine gardening and photography. This is a favorite, Itoh peony Bartzella. This is the meaning of the phrase “breathtakingly beautiful.”



My Arranger and I have moved into a fine retirement community, and I no longer have a garden to enjoy. Age has taken its toll. But I can look to others and continue to build the garden of my dreams…in my dreams. 

Thanks to so many of you for your faithfulness in following me for all these years. I look forward to repeating this sentiment in another seven years.

Posted in Gardening, Photo Challenge, Things I See Around Town, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

A Photo a Week Challenge: Tasty Treat

Posted on January 28, 2021 by johnvic8

Nancy Merrill Photography challenges us bloggers to share a photograph based on her theme of the week. This week’s subject is TASTY TREAT.

This is getting close to home—for chocolate lovers wherever you may be.

Visit Nancy at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2021/01/28/a-photo-a-week-challenge-tasty-treat/ to see her selection and that of others who are sharing in the challenge.

Posted in Photo Challenge, Things I See Around Town, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

A Photo a Week Challenge: Something Pretty

Posted on January 17, 2021 by johnvic8

This week’s photo challenge from Nancy Merrill Photography is SOMETHING PRETTY. I had lots of choices among my wife, daughters and granddaughters, but I couldn’t decide on one without hurting feelings of the others. So I looked at sunsets, art works, and flowers. I figured the flowers wouldn’t be so sensitive, so here we are.

Daylily Barbara MItchell

There were many choices, but this was one of my favorites.

Visit Nancy at https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2021/01/14/a-photo-a-week-challenge-something-pretty/ to see her offering this week.

Posted in Gardening, Photo Challenge, Things I See Around Town, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

My Hope for 2021

Posted on January 1, 2021 by johnvic8

A special prayer for all of you out there in the blogosphere:

May 2021 be a year of PEACE

Happy New Year!

Posted in Holidays | Tagged , | 6 Comments