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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It was a very nice surprise to discover roses still in bloom at The Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I couldn’t help but stand and take in the sweet fragrance knowing it would be the last time until they bloom again next year. The pastel pinks and yellows stood out against the brown color tones that are taking over for winter. I found a late blooming Foxglove which reminded me of spring when the carpenter bees would would be gathering pollen from the bell-shaped flowers. Some roses in the garden now bore fruit or rosehips which will serve as a food source for birds and squirrels. Many plants have gone to seed and the garden puts on a different kind of display. While some may think this is not a very interesting time to go to a botanic garden, I beg to differ. This living museum holds an abundance of dried flowers, seeds and plants. There are different shapes and textures to explore and discover. The birds are easier to spot as they dart in and out of the leafless trees, plants and shrubs. It is now time for the conifers to take centerstage, with their wintergreen needles and boughs.
I wandered through the different conservatories impressed by a magical display of Bonsai trees (which I should have photographed but did not - perhaps next time.) I entered the Desert Pavilion and came upon a Creosote Bush whose aromatic leaves took me back to my days hiking in the Mojave in Joshua Tree National Park. In that moment I felt grateful and happy knowing I can come here and visit this plant whenever I want to be reminded of my home in Southern California. The desert holds may wonderful memories. If I close my eyes and inhale the aroma of Creosote I can travel back to that beautiful landscape and dream of desert rain.
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.
I woke up today feeling like I needed to see spring flowers and color. Winters are long on the east coast. New York Botanical Garden was just what I needed. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and Daffodil Hill was bursting with thousands of yellow Daffodils. Spring ephemerals are popping up, and the Magnolia trees are growing closer to peak bloom. There’s nothing like a botanical garden to lift your spirits after a long winter! The weather was slightly chilly in the morning, but it warmed up and turned into a gorgeous day.
It was a wonderful, rainy day to visit Descanso Gardens. I haven’t been getting here as often as I did over the past several years since I have been spending more time in the mountains. But I do miss coming to this garden and photographing it through all seasons of the year. Descanso has changed quite a bit since I became a member in 2010. Right now they are set up for Enchanted Garden of Light which is a seasonal, holiday light display that draws in large crowds. The garden isn’t as peaceful as it once was, but I do still enjoy coming here when I’m able. There’s always a bit of magic to be found.
Today was my birthday and if I’m not hiking on this day, I’m usually at Descanso Gardens doing my photography. My husband and I had a lovely walk around the garden this morning and then breakfast at the Maple café. I can tell the seasons are getting ready to change. I’ve been coming here since 2010 and can see the subtle changes in the light, the plants, the smells. I can feel a hint of autumn in the air even though the weather is still warm. Also, in mid to late August, the spiders make themselves known. It’s as if they’re making themselves visible to let it be known that the wheel of the year is turning towards the darker days. It’s a wonderful time of year. I love liminal times and I’m always excited for autumn. It’s my favorite season.
I needed a little R&R today, so I headed over to Descanso Gardens which is one of my “go to” special places. The garden was in full spring bloom, and it looked exceptionally stunning! I’ve always said Descanso is a magical place, so I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.
Today was a beautiful day to visit Descanso Gardens. As always, it was full of magic. Hellebores were blooming and the daffodils were right on schedule. It’s such a fairytale-like feeling walking through the camellia forest. What a wonderful Sunday morning!
I promised I’d get myself here more often this year, so I took a quick stroll through the gardens late in the morning. Perfect weather today; sunny and crisp. Saw a few critter friends watching me from up in the trees.
I had the day off on Friday so I headed out to Descanso Gardens to do some photography and catch the tail end of the tulip bloom. I haven’t been getting there nearly as much since we started hiking every weekend, but I did want to at least check out the spring bloom. Here are just a few photos from my trek around the gardens. Not nearly as many images as I took last year when we had the big super bloom, but still very pretty and always an enjoyable way to spend an hour or two.
As the wheel continues to turn, August 1st marks the halfway point between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox. At this time of year, my home garden is full of blooming flowers and an abundance of butterflies. It’s a beautiful time of year and I’ve been blessed by the nature spirits with a modest, but healthy wildlife habitat for hummingbirds, butterflies and other critters who have been enjoying the garden. With Lughnasadh only a few days away, I paid a visit to my favorite magical garden, Descanso. I walked down the promenade and made a quick pass through the rose garden. But I spent most of my time in my favorite section, the native plant the garden. Here is where you can best appreciate the warm tones of summer with the buckwheats starting to brown and the intoxicating fragrance of sage. I also found many spider webs nestled in the trees. It is this time of year when I usually begin to see more intricate webbing in the oaks. They know the days are slowly beginning to shorten, and although it is still hot, the summer will soon be coming to a close.
We've now reached the peak of the solar year. The wheel is turning and the days, although warmed by the power of the sun will gradually become shorter as it begins to wane. For those in tune with nature, we hear her whispering her promise to return to darker days. But there is plenty to celebrate at this time. The natural world is full of activity. Butterflies and bees grace our blooming gardens and the earth changes her colors to shades of golden yellow, bright orange and soft, sable brown. Summer is in full swing and there is much time to be spent outdoors enjoying the warmth of the sun by day and gazing at the endless stars in the night sky.
I arrived just after 8 am Saturday morning at Descanso. I was going to walk to the promenade and into the rose garden since I hadn’t been there in a while, but changed my mind and decided to walk the grassy meadow at the edge of the oaks instead. I’m glad I changed my path. I wasn’t there longer then 5 minutes and saw a California Sister warming its wings in the morning sun. It was a lot warmer then usual this morning and that made it a great time to be able to see some butterflies! Most of the time I’m in and out before it warms up, and the butterflies are just waking up as I’m leaving. Today was an exception. After spending time watching the California Sister, I headed along my usual path up the hill and into the California natives section. Along the trail I noticed some silk on thistle. I recently learned that the Painted Lady caterpillar spins silk, so when I stopped to observe, sure enough there was a caterpillar inside. It’s so exciting now that I’m learning more about butterflies, caterpillars and their natural habitats what I’m able spot. Before taking an interest in all of this I would have probably walked right by not even noticing. It was a beautiful sight to see that caterpillar munching away inside the silk backlit by the morning sunshine! As I continued along my journey I stopped by Cleveland Sage to observe Duskywings. I didn’t get a photo, as they weren’t still for very long so I just enjoyed watching. A few feet away I saw a very tattered Cabbage White. I think this was a male, as it appeared to only have one spot. Next, I walked down the hill and stopped for a moment by a red fairy duster that I’d walked past a million times never really giving it much attention. But after learning what a butterfly magnet this plant is and also picking one up for my own garden from the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, I decided to stop and see what I could observe. The red fairy duster was full of bees and tiny Marine Blue butterflies about the size of my thumbnail. There was a lot of activity going on here. I managed to get a few shots of the little Marine Blues when they were busy nectaring. By this time it was about 9:30 am and more people were starting to arrive, so I decided it was time to head out. Nature never ceases to amaze me with how much there is to constantly see and learn about her. No matter how many times I visit Descanso, no two days are ever the same. There is always something new to see, to learn and to observe. Nature is constantly changing. It was a wonderful morning.
Woke up to a very cloudy morning with some slight drizzle. I’d already planned on going back to the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants to pick up a few more items for my butterfly garden and also take another trek up Wild Flower Hill. Along the nature trail all the plants are tagged with their names, so it’s a It’s a great way to learn about them. After a short hike up the hill, I spent some time in the nursery contemplating what additions to add to my garden. I came home with a few selections: red fairy duster, aster chilensis 'point saint george' and verbena lilacina. I’m sure the butterflies are going to enjoy them! Here are some images from my short hike today.
Spring and Summer are my favorite time of year to explore the California Native section of Descanso Gardens. This garden was designed by Theodore Payne, an English horticulturist, landscape designer and botanist. The California Natives Garden hosts the majestic Matilija poppies as well as sticky monkey flowers, sacred datura, California poppies, woolly blue curls, California buckwheat, and Cleveland sage just to name a few. There is always something new to learn and discover here.
