Grounds For Sculpture is an Art Park in Hamilton NJ created by Seward Johnson. It's a great day trip with both realistic and large fantastical sculptures. Every trip has something new, and every season brings a new perspective.
Rat's Restaurant at Grounds For Sculpture.
Foci, 2010. Rubber, tires, stainless steel. Artist Chakaia Booker.
First Love, 2006. Cast bronze. Artist Itzik Benshalom.
Ruins of Empire II or The Earth swallows The Masters House, 2024. Earth, steel, binder, aluminum panels. Artist Kiyan Williams.
Shaping Up, 1987. Cast bronze. Seward Johnson. With Ruins Of Empire II in the background.
Giant George, 2019. Cast bronze. Artist Gordon Gund.
Current exhibit in the domestic arts building.
Current exhibit in the domestic arts building.
Ex-halations, 2005. Steel, cast aluminum. Artist Linda Fleming.
A blue Heron intruding, or participating, or just dining, while Art is on display ….
While doing some light cleanup (weeding) in the garden, I felt a light tap on my back and wondered if it was starting to rain. It turned out to be a tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet flying around between the garden milkweed and the lilac bush that had brushed my shoulder or briefly alighted. On further study there were several flying around! Had to get the camera out…. The little birds were difficult to photograph as they never really stopped flying around rarely stopping. Also, surprised to see a Monarch butterfly on the lilac bush.
While sitting and reading a book (The Radicalism Of The American Revolution by Gordon S. Wood) on the porch, two Northern Cardinals were spotted in our dogwood tree, they appeared to be "kissing". So I got the camera. Then a Monarch butterfly was spotted at the Mountain Mint. Two weeks ago I was concerned I had seen very few signs of Monarchs but now I see them more often daily.
I was too late to photograph the pair, so just a photo of what struck me as a young cardinal.
My initial thought was it was a parent feeding their child but then read that male cardinals often bring "gifts" of food to females during courtship and feed them beak to beak, so I suppose I found the most likely answer to the behavior?
Just a Monarch butterfly on the Mountain Mint.
The plant in the photo is Short-toothed Mountain Mint from what I learned through Google Image Search. There are many different mint types and they have a reputation for unchecked growth but I've found these do not present a problem in their present location, and have divided and placed some in different locations on the property.
Henry Eiler Rudbeckia in the garden. I first saw them at the New Jersey Botanical Gardens and liked them so much I added them to our garden.
A few recent photos from the garden and nearby as seen from the front porch. Taken with the Canon EOS-M6 camera and EOS-M 55mm-200mm IS STM lens.
This very noisy Red-tailed hawk has recently been in the neighborhood for a few days, obvious because it has been so noisy. Not to mention the little birds objection to it's presence.
Uncropped photo with the EOS-M 55mm-200mm IS STM lens.
Always enjoy when the Monarch butterflies visit the backyard native garden.
Butterfly on the Purple Hyssop which is also a favorite of the Goldfinches.