Springtime Under Glass

We knew a blizzard was on the way today, Tuesday, Jan. 21 so we had a good reason to go to Longwood Gardens on Monday. A balmy day near fifty degrees was a huge contrast to today's snowstorm which is forecast to accumulate over a foot of snow. The conservatory was decorated with all the springtime favorites. It's always gorgeous and makes everyone smile.

Since temperatures are dropping rapidly today, it makes me wonder how much heat loss they sustain to produce a springtime atmosphere in the conservatory. The plants were thriving as usual and the aroma of jasmine and gardenia greet you when you enter. The springtime colors of yellow, pink and purple were abundant alongside some winter favorites like amaryllis, poinsettia, and cyclamen reds. 

The silver Mediterranean gardens and desert landscapes kept very arid conditions even with dew on the windows. It is always a feast for the senses to visit their beautiful displays.

Rejects

In January, 2012, I wrote an entry called "Doors Unopened" and I find it still applies today. I reject posting a great many ideas that come to mind for various reasons.  So here is a list of the current rejects:

I won't write about the following subjects unless I get some great inspirations or queries to hear more about--

--My December cruise was outstanding. I'm a big fan of cruises and I could write endlessly about the things I enjoy about them. We meet legions of interesting people and see great places. We always take several Gigs of photos. People who love to cruise have those too. People who don't love to cruise don't care, or hate the whole concept. I could live on a ship and never get bored.




--My holiday with my family and grandchildren was superb. I never tire of talking to my grandchildren who are extra special to me. They light our lives in a million ways and I will always enjoy time spent with them. I think it is a great unspoken compliment to their parents that they can share their greatest contribution to the world with us. I think they can feel successful and accomplished as adults when they can leave the grandchildren to visit with us while they take some time off.

--The holiday display presented annually by Longwood Gardens always tops their previous efforts and makes the holidays extra special to set the stage for our celebrations. It too, produces tons of photos.

--The Terabyte hard drive that I needed to add to my desktop to store travel photos can be summed up in this sentence and one word--necessary.

--My new gym makes me feel good and gives my days structure. It centers me like nothing else.

--Religion and politics are still on my reject list. I just don't go there. People think what they think without my input. My opinions are in stone and I don't need to argue with anyone.

--My frustration with my constant quest to find "mature" slacks and workout pants will be restrained. See previous angst-- Venting on Vetting Jeans

--The number of books I read is numerous and anyone who wants to read book reviews can check Amazon. I try to keep up to date with a number of my favorite fiction authors and their current offerings such as John Grisham, Stuart Woods, Vince Flynn, Lee Child, Tess Gerritson and others. I'm too busy reading to write yet another review. Kudos to the public library, without whom I would go broke feeding my reading addiction.

The subject that I do find noteworthy is that of a gift that I received this year. I have a new Nook  which is most interesting. Never having felt the need of an e-reader, I find that it has been a revelation. I thoroughly enjoy reading books with it and find that I can use the wireless connection to my local public library and check out epub books to my Nook without leaving my easy chair. When I finish reading it, I can return it wirelessly to the public library and delete it from my Nook. It automatically expires in 14 days so there are no overdue fees. It can store books, magazines, newspapers, music, photos, movies, and games like Sudoku and crossword puzzles. So I will have to load it with entertainment before I travel again. 

I can purchase any number of things from Barnes and Noble online with their web connection as well as surf the web and check my e-mail. It is such a handy little toy that I never knew I needed. New paradigm.

Light As Art

For many years, we have enjoyed this seasonal treat that we see when visiting Longwood Gardens in the summer. These large water lily pads have always been fascinating. Recently, we visited again, and discovered a display in a pond on an opposite side of the gardens. I assumed they had begun planting the water lilies in the pond near the Italian Gardens. On closer inspection we found an entirely different fascinating display.

Yep, it is a sea of CD-ROM collections somehow attached to round discs. The reflecting side picks up the light with an ever-changing rainbow of colors. Hubby observed that they must be an old collection of AOL discs. We used to have a never-ending stream of mailers with their CD enclosed. I always thought there must be a better way to use a CD as I tossed many into the trash. Bruce Munro gets an A for creativity in my book. He asked people to send him their old CD-ROM collections and he received thousands.

The new exhibit at Longwood Gardens is very clever, inspirational, and creative. It is an installation of different types of plays in light and color by Bruce Munro of UK. The night light exhibit opens in June, but we were able to see the daytime exhibit on the lake near the Italian Gardens. It is best viewed during the day as one roams around the lake with the sun reflecting from different angles. As you walk and the light changes, the CD-ROM collection reflects changing colors. It's really beautiful. 

It is an astounding visual effect and very hard to capture in photography. It is best experienced in person. YouTube has a video of some of his displays. 

Even though it is a really cool concept, and I would like to see it again later in the summer, I still prefer Mother Nature's water lilies on the other side of the gardens.
 

A Party of Orchids

 In the midst of a dark, cloudy day, brightness and a burst of color is only ten minutes from my house. Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania is hosting their annual orchid extravaganza which is truly spectacular. On the first step into the conservatory from temperatures in the middle forties outdoors, the warm, humid breeze brings a perfume of promises. 

The variety of colors is always a feast for the eyes in the middle of winter.  There aren't enough adjectives to describe the fabulous displays this horticultural wonder produces. 

The orchids are featured, but many other flowers are also abundant and lilies are a nice combination with the orchids.

Festive Holiday Scenes

My family seems to have adopted the holiday tradition of visiting Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA at this time of the year. It is a spectacular presentation and different each year.

We like to visit around dusk and have dinner at their restaurant. They make a unique mushroom soup since they are in Kennett Square, the mushroom capital of the world. Their chocolate chip cookies are the size of a plate. Usually, the weather is very cold so hot chocolate is a must.

It is quite a challenge for the photographers, but we try our best. It isn't easy with freezing hands to take those outdoor shots. I managed to find a few photos that were useful representations of the fabulous lights.

Four Hours and a Camera

 

Note:This slide show is best viewed Full Screen--click the double window on the task bar above and beside the words "Make a PhotoShow".

 
This is a photoshow that I put together from pictures that I took on a visit to Longwood Gardens last weekend.
I first visited Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania in the summer of 1967 and took along a small box camera which greatly frustrated me. I still go to roam the gardens often and there is always the constant camera (with many updated models later)  that frustrates me because I want pictures that make me want to jump inside and live in them. It is such a privilege to live so near this treasure of nature, we visit often and take many, many pictures. Then we want bigger and better cameras. 

The gardens make a great subject so I can work on lighting and shutter speed and composition. I think I need an SLR with 18 plus megapixels. My little 12 megapixel Nikon fits nicely in a purse, but has limitations. I'm still learning and the greatest challenge to me is to hold a camera still and half depress the button to take a picture so I can see if the camera will focus properly before continuing to take the picture. The professionals get a tripod permit but I dislike taking that much equipment. I'm visiting to enjoy the scenery as well as to take a few photos. So I compensate by leaning on the nearest tree.

The gardens have a great variety of lighting situations which challenge a photographer to try to coax the best result from any camera. Beyond the challenges of the camera itself, photography composition takes great artistic talent that doesn't seem part of my practical nature. I recently saw a photo of a row of white orchids taken on a white background and the purple markings in the center leaped off the photograph. I would never have imagined a white background to have been so effective. Composition is a great challenge to the non-artists. I love flowers so any picture of a flower in focus makes me happy.

Who Are These People?

 Why are these strangers in my pictures taken at Longwood Gardens? After visiting Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, numerous times for over 44 years, I have concluded that taking pictures of flowers can become more interesting when including the pictures of the many people who also enjoy the flowers. It becomes a group experience even when people are strangers. It is a great opportunity to strike up a conversation with anyone because almost everyone in the gardens shares a love of nature and exquisitely manicured displays.

As I took a picture of this rare blue orchid, another visitor said, "Sorry, I ruined your picture." I replied to him, "Not to worry, I crop everything." It was the opening to a conversation while a group marveled at the special techniques they used to get the orchid to soak up blue dye to produce the effect not found in nature. Yes, I could crop everything in my photos, but it spoils the total view to try to exclude the other people enjoying the gardens and the flowers. It would be like trying to exclude the fans in the football stadium and taking a picture only of a football.


 

Everyone has cameras and often take turns photographing friends and family in front of special displays. We volunteer to take pictures of others so the whole group can share the picture. It is an easy way to interact with new people.

 

Eavesdropping is fun because the number of languages spoken is fascinating as the Gardens are a must-see attraction on any regional tours, and traffic clogs local highways on special occasions. It is a good opportunity to play good-will ambassador for the region and to be friendly to people from other countries.

 

I still like to take close-up pictures of flowers, but sometimes it is more fun to photograph a toddler sniffing a blossom. The children's section of the garden is always filled with little people playing in water spouts or kissing dragon noses.

 

When I look at pictures of the gardens minus people, it seems sterile and sad. I like to see dozens of people moving around the gardens enjoying the hard work of countless volunteers who plant the flowers and tend the outdoor gardens. So I take many pictures of plants with many people enjoying them. The Gardens are a regular stop for my family because we live so close and the variety of activities makes it appealing.

 

We have member passes and visit as often as we want during the year. There are some special events for members and some events have special admissions tickets. It would be easy to take this entertainment venue for granted, but I haven't reached that point. Just when I think I have seen everything, they surprise me with something new like this harp concert.

No matter the event or display, what a great place to spend a day! The kite display was very popular.












Their tulips compete with the best in the world, even those from Holland.

Summertime

Techie Toys are always fun and waste a lot of time on a rainy Sunday afternoon. This show is on one of my favorite sites for sharing photos. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny, summer day and a perfect time to wander around Longwood Gardens.

I Am Fragrant

When I see a flower, the first thing I want to do is put my nose to it and sniff. Apparently, that is a common impulse and Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania has responded by showing their visitors which plants are sniff-worthy. Throughout the gardens one can find this little sign that tells you which flowers, as well as plants, have a detectable fragrance. 

 Many of the aromatic plants are commonly used by perfumeries to create the expensive fragrances that we love as much as the bugs that frequent odiferous plants.

  
Longwood Gardens is featuring months of a really classy exhibit of the history, chemistry, and art of creating scents. Not only do they show which plants can be used in perfumes, they have stations to sniff various scents and an opportunity to make your own fragrance. 

Included in the exhibit are some fabulous printed screens to explain the history of perfumes. It has been an art for centuries apparently back to ancient times over 4,000 years.

I love perfumes, but I have to be careful about wearing them because some people have extreme allergies to them and I also happen to be a bug magnet. If I am going to be near someone who doesn't like perfume, I avoid it or if I plan to be outside longer than five minutes, I avoid perfume and choose bug repellent instead. 

Two of my favorite perfumes would be Joy, the fourth most expensive in the world, and Chanel 5 which is the best selling perfume. Everyone has a favorite and that keeps department stores in business. Longwood's exhibit gives visitors the opportunity to try various fragrances and create a unique scent just for yourself.

I like to visit all of the gardens when I visit and I love the water lily gardens that are at their best in the hot summer weather. Photographers have to acquire a tripod permit in order to set up the professional type equipment that many experts like to use. I don't have the expensive equipment I see here, but I manage to take a few nice flower shots with my compact Nikon.

Longwood Gardens

One of the greatest reasons that I enjoy the area where I live in the Brandywine Valley has to be Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA. It is only a ten minute drive away and a member pass is the only way to go--unlimited visits all year. I love visiting it any season of the year. We are so lucky to live near such a treasure; I can't say enough good things about it.

One of the most popular seasons is the springtime, which brings crowds of people to enjoy the warm weather and new growth. The plant collection is unbelievable and the flowers are stunning.

It is a breathtakingly beautiful place--words can't do it justice. In the forty-four years that we have lived in this area, it is the place that we have visited most often and at least half of all my photos are taken there. Everywhere is a Kodak moment. As a flower afficionado, superlatives are over the top--you have to see it to believe it.   

The two photo collages above were produced with an elegant little program called Photoscape that can be downloaded free from the web.