Walking a Garden Path – Sunday Series

August 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Red Flowers in Monet’s Garden © 2012 Bo Mackison

Whenever I am in need of spirit-lifting, my first remedy is to find the nearest flower garden and wander its paths. It’s difficult to hold on to a hurt feeling or stay in a bad mood when I focus, instead, on the beauty of the flowers I see.

Flower Bouquets © 2012 Bo Mackison

Frequently I find my time is best spent simply observing the natural world around me. I notice the artistry in nature and soak in the joyful colors. I walk in the quiet garden, and let the calm and peaceful feelings be my companions.

Floral Mix © 2012 Bo Mackison

I rest in the garden for a few minutes, standing quietly, breathing deeply. I breathe in acceptance.

So Orange! © 2012 Bo Mackison

Then I remember a line of a poem written by Mary Oliver that I love  — “my work . . .  is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.”

Bright Blue Eyes © 2012 Bo Mackison

 The gardens and their flowers offer so many gifts, free for the taking. I need only stand there and be astonished.

Garden Bridge © 2012 Bo Mackison

I study their bright colors, feel their velvety textures, inhale their perfume, and watch as a breeze sets them dancing. I find the rarest of gifts while walking through the garden — a sense of calm and serenity.

I took these photographs during the New York Botanical Garden’s current exhibit, Monet’s Garden. The exhibit features flowers that were historically grown in Monet’s gardens in Giverny, France. These flowers provided the inspiration for many of his floral paintings.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC.  She travels the United States and captures its beauty in images and words.

 

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Lilies in Monet’s Garden

June 13, 2012 by 4 Comments
Lilies in Refection Pool

Lilies in Monet’s Garden © 2012 Bo Mackison

It’s on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly. ~ Claude Monet

The current exhibit at the New York Botanical Gardens is Monet’s Garden, located in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory on the grounds, truly a spectacular site for this themed exhibit.

NYBG’s website describes the exhibit as such — “Claude Monet was an avid gardener who once reflected that perhaps flowers were the reason he became a painter. This exhibition explores the legacy of his idyllic garden in Giverny, France, transforming the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory into a floral masterpiece of diverse plants, bold colors, and dramatic design . . . Monet’s most famous subjects, water lilies, many of them the varieties he grew, are featured in the Conservatory Courtyard Pools.”

The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory opened in 1902. This Victorian-style glasshouse is home to A World of Plant which is its permanent exhibit – a series of gardens that takes you on a tour of plants found around the world. After walking through the crowded Monet’s Garden exhibit – yes, our only chance to visit was on a Sunday afternoon! — we also walked through the permanent gardens.

I could have wandered through the many displays for days and days, but I only had a few hours, hours I was grateful for. Such an opportunity to fill the well of my senses –  fragrances, textures, colors. Ahhh.

I could not resist the challenge of taking photographs of a few of the lilies that are now in bloom in the courtyard pools. The reflection of the conservatory in the pools added an element of grandeur and a vintage look to the photographs of the water lilies.

The New York Botanical Gardens, including its many historical structures, is a National Historic Landmark.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She spent a glorious afternoon visiting and photographing the New York Botanical Gardens, and highly recommends a garden visit if you are in the New York area.

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