My Walk through a fantastic Garden

Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis.

I am an area native and have never been there.

Shameful I know, or at least, that’s what people tell me.
You know what? They’re right. Ok, I love flowers, but to walk through a big garden just didn’t seem like something I was itching to do! Well, how could I when I didn’t know what I was missing?

This past Saturday was a day straight from heaven! The temperature was in the 70’s in the morning and the sun was shining bright. A local photography club was meeting there and I decided to join them. It was nice to finally be able to “talk shop” with a few people who understood my constant desire to capture our world one photo at a time and hope that, at least now & then, someone will look at my work & it will stir an emotion within them.

I spoke with a few other people too, one was an older woman who was a member. She too, couldn’t believe I had never been there but she congratulated me for finally coming.

That’s when I realized that for some people gardening is to them, like photography is to me, a passion.
It’s the wonder of the delicate beauty that a gentle, fleeting life can hold. Usually the flowers only last a few weeks, but in that short “lifetime” they shine.....


It is also about the mutual appreciation for the little things most of us usually just walk swiftly by.
If you are one of these people, and have no interest in slowing down, then this might not be the place for you. But then again, to just walk through, breathe in the air, the overall beauty & the quiet may be worth it.

And if you do, may I just suggest you try to slow down for just a bit?

Look at these delicate works of art given to us by God.

I don’t think it would be something you will regret.

The sculptures throughout the park are also quite beautiful.

The glass sculptures are donations from Dale Chihuly. The way the light shines on and through them is quite stunning.

Lastly, I'm a people watcher. When I notice a particular person, or group of persons, my mind usually wanders into a story of its own of what those particular people are like. You can usually pick up a few things just from observing, my senses and imagination take over from there.
Let me give you an example....

There are benches throughout the garden to sit and take in the beauty. I recall seeing one such couple doing just that. The story in my minds eye was that they looked like a middle aged intellecual couple who probably lived in the city. As they sat quietly on this bench in a grove of trees, his arm resting on her shoulders, they just soaked in the beauty. You could see it on their faces, relaxation, happiness.... peace. No words had to be spoken. I imagined that this was probably a favorite place of theirs, more than likely a place they frequent as they looked so at home.

So remember, as that age old saying goes "Take the time to smell the roses". You dont have to visit a garden to do that (although it may be just what your soul needs) but do take the time to quiet your mind and see the beauty around you.

Stay tuned in for upcoming blogs like....

-Christy goes to college (kinda)

and

-Road trip!

as well as....

-a few peeks at a family photo session I've recently done

and much, much more!