Summer in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, July 14, 2024

Summer in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, July 14, 2024

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.

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April 7, 2024, New York Botanical Garden

April 7, 2024, New York Botanical Garden

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.

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Descanso Gardens, December 23, 2019

Descanso Gardens, December 23, 2019

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.

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Descanso Gardens, September 2, 2019

Descanso Gardens, September 2, 2019

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.

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Descanso Gardens, January 27, 2019

Descanso Gardens, January 27, 2019

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!

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Descanso Gardens, December 23, 2018

Descanso Gardens, December 23, 2018

I woke up Sunday morning feeling inspired. It had been a while since I’d last visited Descanso Gardens. I used to go there every weekend to take photos of the flowers, the trees, the plants, and through the years, I’ve come to know the garden with it’s changing seasons quite intimately. Now that I’ve been spending most of my weekends hiking, I just don’t have as much time to spend visiting the garden. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed being here until my walk this morning. It felt so refreshing and it was, as usual, beautiful. I’m going to make it a plan in the new year to create a balance so that I can still set aside some time to visit this enchanted place.

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