Swept Over

There are certain places or events that can trigger a thought or emotion.  It may be a song, or an aroma, but we all have those ‘things’ that evoke those emotions.  Among those triggers for me are flower gardens.  It instantly connects me to my mother, and her gardens that she carefully planned out around my childhood home.  As I grew older, I became the gardener of the flower gardens around our house.  As much as I was into technology and being connected to the evolving online world, being close to nature brought me balance.

These photos were from my recent trip to Longwood Gardens.  I arrived shortly before sunset, and stayed into the night for the Nightscape light show.   The instant I walked out of the visitors center and into the garden I couldn’t help but think how much my mother would have LOVED this place.   Well kept grounds, carefully planned out landscaping, and many types of animals running or flying around.

As I made my way around, not only was I treated to a visual feast, I was in for an olfactory sensation.  The most lovely scents wafted into the air as I made my way from each section.  By far, my favorite section might have been the conservatory.   There’s a section for the dry, arid landscapes found in Mediterranean and desert regions, a rainforest section with hundreds of tropical plants and even a small section with 100+ year old Bonsai trees.  And all the while, different music is playing in each section during the nightscape show.  All of the light in the garden is dimmed in order to let your eyes adjust to the darkness.  So while you walk down the pathways, there is just enough light, and none of it shines in your face since it’s pleasantly dim or aimed at the ground.

I only took a few photos on this trip though.  It was my first time there, and I really just wanted to take it all in, and not fumble around with camera settings.  This is one location that I’ll be revisiting thought the seasons.