Vizcaya in Layers

I recently joined a new group called Project 10 Challenge, and the theme for this month is layers.  So I thought I would finish off my Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami series with the various layers I found while walking around the property.

 

This self portrait was taken out on the Garden Mound, under this amazing painted ceiling.  As I turned to look at the covered area, I found myself looking at me, through glass doors layered with dirt.  Securing those doors were iron mounted gates.  Join me as I wander along and looked at the various layers of Vizcaya. 

 

 

 

 

Layers come in all shapes and sizes.  Pots staggered on a stairway, trees all in a row.

 

 

 

Ferns in layers attached to the pitted wall, or along walkways.

 

The gardens are layered in various levels, from the statues up high, to the shrubs down low.

Coral shaped stone layer the walls, and ferns grow out of the gaps, black seeps into the pitted gaps in the stone work.

Statues like sentinels, are a layer between the sky and the sea. 

Layers of different colors blend into this water feature, coppers, mustards, greys and yellows blend together to create this refreshing sight.

James Deering had a dream and at the age of 50 the culmination of his dream was his home Vizcaya.  This was the home where he hoped his health would be restored.  In 1912, James Deering purchased the land he planned to build his new home on. In 1914 construction began. In 1916 the main house was completed.  In 1921 the construction of the garden was completed. Although he enjoyed several winters at Vizcaya, in 1925 James Deering died.  These were just some of the layers that would define his life. 

“Always question what other things than the top layer are proceeding on beneath.”

~ Jay Woodman 

 

 

This is the last post on Vizcaya.  If you are interested in viewing the other posts click here, and then follow the links.  Thank you for joining me as we meandered through this stunning garden. 

 

 

Vizcaya the gardens part 2

If you are following my story, this started out as my project for 30-minutes-in-the-life, and continued as a follow on to that post. For my 30-minutes in life blog post click here and then just follow my links.  The gardens unique and exceptional.  Join me as I show you just another element of the wonderful place. 

 

 

 

This part of my walk took me through the side of the garden behind the statues to an area call the Theatre garden, to these whimsical character.  The court jester, of course, is my favorite.

 

 

 

Beyond that area was the Maze Garden guarded by this lady below who is created in the structure of a sphinx. 

 

Walking further on, deeper in to the garden I found the beautiful Fountain Garden.

 

 

 

 

Moving back to the center of the garden I found the grotto's guarded by these by these nymph like characters.  Once again, we see this coral type rock formation.

Along the center island are canal setups that flow around the garden and dragonflies that hang out around the pools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Along pathways I walk, exploring all the options this beautiful garden has to offer me.

 This is Vizcaya a beautiful home set in the heartland of downtown Miami.

 

 

 “Gardens and flowers have a way of bringing people together, drawing them from their homes.”  

~ Clare Ansberry, The Women of Troy Hill:  The Back-Fence Virtues of Faith and Friendship

 

 

For the last part of my Vizcaya Museum and Gardens and my submission for the Project 10 Challenge click here. 

 



Vizcaya the gardens

If you are following my story, this started out as my project for 30-minutes-in-the-life, and continued as a follow on to that post.  For the blog Vizcaya from the beginning click here.  This has been an interesting journey walking around Vizcaya.  The house is just stunning. The gardens unique and exceptional.  Join me as I show you just another element of the wonderful place. 

 

 

 

 

Statues line the gardens,  his and hers, faces set in time.

 

 

 

Unique Railings separate the displays, and take you to another area of this beautiful garden.

  

 

Everything is old, pitted black and worn with time.  Spanish moss hangs from the branches and there is a feeling that this will be here forever. 

Stairs leading to places I did not always follow

 

 

 

 

 

I headed to the very back of the property that bordered onto the mangroves and walked around just taking it all in.  Curving walls, quiet places to sit and critters that are along for the ride. 

 



I reached the back and walked along the wall that edged the mangroves, black and green with age.  I had to wonder how often the guests of Vizcaya made their way back there in James Deering's time. 

Steps carved in stone flowed down to the waters edge.  Perhaps they took boats out to navigate the mangroves.

Seems like there was some kind of hazard warning created back in the day.

 

 

As I turn around to head away from the water I look straight into an patio in the base of Garden Mound.  Three arches lead  the way into this closed area where two doors lead away from it.  Above each door and in the center of the wall is designed the face we see below, surrounded by the ever present coral type design found around the garden.  Is this the face of Neptune, to go with the whole mermaid theme?

 

 

 

 

Moving away from the patio I climb the curving steps to the Garden mound.  Once again the steps are pitted with black, and lined with green moss and tiny weeds. 

 

 

Ferns grow freely on the branches of the trees in abundance, lush and green.
 

And to greet me as I reach the top of the stairs is this sweet face.

And this happy chap who keeps her company.

 

 

“Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh, how beautiful!' and sitting in the shade.”

~ Rudyard Kipling, Complete Verse  

 

 Seems like I have run out of space and yet there are so many more pictures for this story.  Join me for part 2 of Vizcaya the gardens. 

 

 



Transitions

I had the privilege of being a guest on a blog group called Life in Loud, this was my submission taken in the gardens of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.

Rite of Passage: La quinceañera – a transition from childhood to womanhood.
 

 

 

 

“I’ve always believed there are moments in our lives which can be defined as a transition between the before and after,
between the cause and the effect.”
– Benjamin X Wretling: Castles: A Fictional Memoir of a Girl with Scissors

 

To continue on my journey through Vizcaya Museum and Gardens click here.

 

Vizcaya - From the beginning..

The journey through Vizcaya started out with my 30-minute-in-the-life blog which you can find here. This blog starts back at the entrance of the property.  Join me as I wander through the gardens. 

 

Sometimes in your life there comes along a friend who means the world to you.  My trip to Vizcaya Museum and Gardens was with a friend who means the world to me.  I met Midge in 2004, and I thank the Lord daily for this beautiful soul that has graced my life.  I call her friend.  She is my mentor, my accountability partner, my confidant.  The person I go to when I am troubled.  The person who never tells me what to do, just asks the questions that get you thinking and looking at things from different angles.  I am grateful for Midge. I am grateful for her love.  And I am grateful that we have time together to do things such as visit Vizcaya.  I hope that you have a Midge in your life as well. 

 

A school teacher of mine once gave me this quote:

 

"True friends are like diamonds

Precious and rare

False friends are like autumn leaves

Scattered everywhere"

 

How true that saying is.  I am thankful for my beautiful friend.

 

 

 

Join us as we meander through the gardens of Vizcaya.  We had to wait for the gardens to open, and while we did I wandered around looking at the array of statues at the entrance.  There is a whole under the sea kind of theme going on at this house - mermen, mermaids etc, and then various other kinds of statues as well.  Below are a few that we encountered at the entrance to the home.   

 

 

 

 

 

There is enormous ornamental tower with a water feature at the base of it.  A lot of the statues are pitted with black, gained over eons of time.  The formation of a rocky coral shaped edge is a pattern that you will stumble across throughout the garden.  Faces such as the one in this ornamental tower will also be found throughout the garden.

 

 

 

 

 

Playing around with water features and trying to sharpen and isolate the water drops had me laughing as I edited this picture below.  When I looked closely at the top of the water I felt like I was looking at the head of a snake, with a pretty mean eye, a long thin center body with two arms coming out from the body. The one arm looks like it could be petting a dog.  Okay that is just me and my eyes beyond the norm. 

 

Our first glimpse of Vizcaya is from the top of a really long driveway, elevated up much higher than the house.  As we walked down passed the cascading fountains that run down the driveway, I am already impressed.  But the house itself is spectacular and I cannot wait to explore.

We are at the foot of the driveway, in front of this amazing home.  Walk with us as we enjoy these incredible gardens.  Everything you look at has such incredible detail.  While I would like to say that the images along the sides of the entrance may have been some kind of crest - I do not thinks so.  The statue on the top, at each side, looks like a sea horse.

 

 

The finest details are found amongst the grounds, from urns to pots, to the edging of the roof, or along a wall.  Time was invested in putting this home together.

I am so impressed with the gardens, ornamental gardens, laid out in patterns and symmetry.

Interesting features were found all around the gardens, such as this ornamental seating with a giant shell above it.  On either side were the upper bodies of women.  The rock above the colored area is indicative of the coral feature, and the darkened area above the seat looks vaguely like a mouth full of teeth which over time has seen ferns growing in amongst them.

 

 

 

Railings of metal graced the gardens

 

 

And naked ladies of all shapes and sizes..

 

 

 

 

This is just the first part of the garden, incredible in it splendor and detailed to perfection..

 

“Garden design is all about concealment and surprise.”  

~ Andrew Crofts, Secrets of the Italian Gardener

Still interested in following my journey around the gardens of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens then click here.