Lets stay with greens and growing things, and wander ’round the tropical gardens at Brief and Lunuganga – so different, so beautiful, so redolent of Sri Lanka’s post-colonial past, yet drawn so much from the European heritage of the Bawa brothers, their creators.
The Moongate, Brief
The Reflecting Pond, Brief
The Staircase, Brief (Detail)
The Staircase, Brief
I adore Brief, but I’ll let you into s secret: it’s Lunuganga’s vast and limpid aspect, its serenity and stillness, its restraint, that wins me in the end.
Ailsa set Round as this weeks’ s Travel Theme challenge.
See what I mean? The upper terrace and view from the Veranda
The Wanderlust Gene 
What a wonderful tree! Oh, my! I would love to visit here. 🙂
That last shot is a (actually two, manipulated) frangipani George and the canon ball tree, of course. You’d just adore Sri Lankan gardens 🙂
I know I would! I am still salivating over those pots in your garden at the house there. I cringed to read that you had to sell them before you left! EEEK! Chuckle…
Oh yes, I nearly died inside at my strictness with myself! 🙂
I can imagine. The Italians make the very best pottery in the world, without a doubt.
I hated too that the woman who bought them knew that, but bargained them down for a song!
They are both absolutely beautiful. Sri Lanka must be a magical place (were it not for the politics) …
It is – so magical that the politics couldn’t keep me away. I did record plenty of ‘bad’ things about the place, which I’ll write about one day, but after 20 years of visits and residencies, I can say things are improving and I feel its only fair to give them a chance to create the post-war society before I weigh in! 🙂
Which seems like a bloody reasonable thing to do, to me. Goodonyer.
It seems an unfashionable tactic, these days, with every man and his dog writing memoirs or critiques immediately upon leaving the place (and, I might add, seeming to have just one point of view). 🙂
All the more reason, eh ? – who wants to be fashionable ?!
Too right! 🙂
was=is that a huge grapefruit in her hand? i first thought it was a calabash, but no… it looks softer.
z
It’s big, eh? You could grow it in your garden, Liza – it’s a pomelo – Citrus maxima (of course) – indigenous to southeast Asia. It’s more like an orange than a grapefruit, with sweetish yellowy or pinkish segments. Great for salads both sweet and savoury.
This is a really pretty series, Meredith. Had to smile when I caught myself reciting in my head, “‘Round and ’round the garden like a teddy bear…” It had been twenty years since I played that game with my kids!
That’s a lovely memory to pop up, Naomi. So glad 🙂
Absolutely beautiful! So relaxing and refreshing too.
Even in the tropics gardens provide comfortable microclimates!
Beautiful photographs.
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
Magnificent, I’d be happy wandering on either, preferably both!
such rich magical ’rounds’ Meredith, from two very lovely gardens … I do love the cannonball tree, and those huge round stone or concrete balls … speaking of spheres of all kinds … visions of planets amongst the plants … and so primal with water … fabulous!
Your photos are absolutely stunning, Meredith. Such beautiful views, and the reflecting pond looks so peaceful. Thanks so much for sharing this. 🙂
As Spring finally is starting to arrive and we are getting some green I needed these beautiful pictures! It has been a very long winter here and jailed the other day. Finally today sun is shining and my grass is green!!!
What a great place, M.!!!
I love when you take us back to your beloved placem Meredith. I’ll always love your photos of Sri Lankan.
you illustrated “round” so spectacularly! I love the leaves in pic 9…such a perfectly round curl…and the color! makes me feel cool just looking at it (and given it’s 89degrees on my porch where I’m typing now) that’s no easy feat! 😉
Sri Lanka sure is beautiful, eh?
Wow, what an absolute paradise and what a spectacular view of and from that tree. As you say, serenity . . . bliss!
Wow…. itsss amazing… loved it 🙂
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Oh my. How beautiful nature is and you have captured its uniqueness in the round. Would love to visit Sri Lanka.
You got pretty close, Lynne. You back already? Have seen a couple of Ron’s people posts along the way but looking forward to your stories from your India adventure 🙂
Have been back 2 weeks now and both of us as sick as can be. Just now beginning to feel a little human. Much to catch up on. India was an incredible adventure. Loved it.
No wonder this place gets to you Meredith…you can feel it in the images
I wear my heart on my lens, right? 🙂
Yep…you do…but that is a good thing.
I think so too! Thanks dear 🙂
The garden is wonderful and that tree is spectacular. The stories one could tell sitting under that tree.
Oh yeah, and the stories that tree could tell … 🙂
Absolutely excellent scenes!
This is what our garden plants hope to be when they grow up. Unfortunately Winter intervenes, making a mess of the plans of both plant and gardener. Still, it’s so nice to see gardens so lush, like only the tropics can grow.
Stunning photography once again my friend ,Thanks for sharing 🙂
So serene and so peaceful, you have caught the very essence of these beautiful places Meredith. I would love to wander around them.
That last photo – wonderful! The squares of grass played against the great, twisting trunks of that tree are brilliant. How I would love to visit Sri Lanka. And thank you so much for the follow! I appreciate it!
Great photos from a wonderful garden.
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magic!