This morning I took the 4 train to Brooklyn to spend quite time in nature at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Much of the garden is restricted now due to the holiday light show, Lightscape, which I highly recommend seeing. But there is still so much to explore. Seedpods, cones, berries, Winterberry, Holly and conifers stand out against the light dusting of snow left over from Christmas eve. There are endless textures and shapes; curves, spirals and brown stems. I notice the earth tone colors with a pop of red from Winterberry and Holly and the various shades of green conifer needles. I could spend hours studying the early winter landscape and noticing how the plants and trees take on a new display of beauty. I don’t cover much distance when I walk with my camera. It gives me permission to slow down, observe and take in the canvas of nature. Birds perch in flocks eyelevel in the shrubs and high up in the trees. I see sparrows, starlings, a pair of cardinals and a mockingbird. Even in winter, botanical gardens are a wonderful escape from the asphalt streets and towering buildings.
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The trees at the New York Botanical Garden were still holding onto their vibrant fall colors. It was a sunny day making their hues even more vibrant. After a very busy month of October, taking refuge under the golden leaves of a maple tree was a much needed respite. I felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders; a feeling of peace, content and relaxation. I stood under the maple for a long time enjoying the warm embrace of fiery gold hues and the sunshine that flickered through the leaves.
Fall is a bittersweet time of year. The trees put on their best display before saying goodbye for the winter when they take their life deep down into the earth to prepare for a long winter rest. But even after the leaves fall to the ground and begin to decay, there will be seedpods for birds and other critters to harvest and feed upon during the cold months ahead. Winter can be a very beautiful time of year. And while I do not favor the cold when it drops below freezing, I do enjoy the quite and peace of the winter season soon to come.
Today was my first time visiting the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Because we are members of the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, we have a reciprocal membership with other participating gardens. This is a great perk and having a membership supports the work of the gardens. The garden occupies 52 acres in central Brooklyn near Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Museum. There is so much to see here. The garden has a number of specialty gardens including a Japanese Hill-and-Pond garden, Water Garden, Rose Garden, Native Plant Garden, and a Fragrance Garden just to name a few. The weather today was extremely hot and humid, and we were grateful to find shaded paths along the way. There are hidden benches tucked away beneath the trees in the romantic, Shakespeare Garden too where we could sit for a moment to cool off. We had a wonderful day exploring, and I can’t wait to come back again to see more.
