Green

Life continues to be stressful.The dentists and the computers continue to be a source of drama. I am beginning to wonder if there is an astrological house associated with them. If there is then something disruptive like Mars has moved in. I have been working on my dream pictures, but it has been slow. I need to figure out some photoshop things. I have images, but I am not ready to share them. 

I was so worried when it didn't rain all through April but we have made up for it since the beginning of May. I wanted to feel the green, so I went to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It is harder to get to since we moved to Bushwick, but I feel drawn to it and continue to search for the easiest way to get there. They have a new visitor's center with a green roof and all kinds of alternative energy going on. I did not get any good pictures of it. Maybe it is one of those spaces that need to be visited rather than photographed. The gardens smelled green, everything was damp from the morning rain. There were school children and organized groups, all taking advantage of the Tuesday free admission. Everyone seemed really happy.

One of the gardeners' trucks was decorated with a pinwheel.

It was right near some cornflowers.

What I thought was one of the rocks in the stream,

in fact was a turtle enjoying the water.

I only photographed this bamboo because it was young and delicate like the bamboo I planted in front of my house. 

The subway station was virid with moss. I only got one picture before the train came.

Crocus

I went to the Botanic Garden to see the plants that had bloomed early. I had imagined all kinds of bulbs and blossoms springing from the ground. In fact there were mostly crocuses.

Apparently they have been in bloom since before Groundhog Day so I am a little late to the whole "global warming flowers bloom in winter" thing. The results of Groundhog day were mixed, Puxatawny Phil said six more weeks of winter, Staten Island Chuck said it was spring. Since our winter has been especially springlike, I guess they were both right.

The crocuses clustered among the trees, looking really pretty.

Anything else blooming was that hardy kind of stuff one expects to see in early spring.

The trees were getting those red and green tints that promise leaves.

The daffodils had also been up since early February and they looked a bit spent.

There was one dandelion.

Overall, everything still looked like winter. It is strange to wander around the barren landscapes in such warm weather.

Lotus

I have been feeling a bit dispersed since the last round of plant art. I am having a hard time deciding what I should be working on. The weather has not been helpful, brief moments of glorious sunlight punctuate long stretches of cloudy dark. I went to the Botanic Garden hoping that being around a little plant life would inspire. By the time I got there, the sun had once again disappeared. Everything seemed a bit wistful, although the BBG's plants are much lusher than mine.

I wandered over to the water plants, I thought the lotuses would be good in a spiritual sort of way.
 

I was under the impression that the lotus represented rebirth, the flower rising from the water, its petals falling away to reveal the rizome. Admittedly, it seems more 'circle of life' than 'phoenix bursting from the ashes'.
 

When I got back to the internet, I discovered that the lotus symbolizes sexual purity. The flower rises from the mud but remains white.

It turns out all those Hindu gods are sitting on lotuses because they are so pure. Well that was disappointing.
 

At least the lotuses are pretty and all the water is soothing. But I am still feeling restless.

Subtle Leaves

For a second year, the autumn foliage has been muted. Last year it was from the rain, this year it was the heat.

I went up to Central Park to find the trees I skipped on the tree hunt because they look best in autumn. I was headed for the Tupelo meadow in the Ramble. Many of the trees were still green if yellowish.

There was an occasional splash of red, all the more striking against the green.

The colors were otherwise soft.

The Ramble lived up to its name and I wandered around in circles for a while, not sure where the tupelos were.

I did not even recognize one when I found it and I did not take many pictures. Perhaps the others had already shed their leaves.

I am so grateful for these rare isolated spots in the city. When I am stressed, being with the trees and the birds calms me down. I had wanted to see the elms on the literary walk in their autumn splendor.

But it was over. The leaves had fallen.

It seemed odd that some trees were still green while others had shut down for the season. But I was more intrigued about tupelo trees. I went to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, my other refuge from stress.

 The colors were fairly muted there too. The light was really pretty.

There was a well identified tupelo in the local flora area.

Its autumn colors really are beautiful.

And I know what they look like now.

Rain and Blue Flowers

I had other plans for today, different pictures in view, but it rained.  I figured it was good weather to catch the bluebells at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.  I saw the end of their bloom last year.  They were at their peak today.

There must be something about the particular shade of bluebell blue that makes them so hard to photograph.  I never feel as if I am doing their intense color justice. 

I guess they are best experienced in person.  Maybe their perfume adds to the color intensity.

I came across some forget-me-nots. They are a bit more carefree, maybe because they are so small.

Meanwhile, raindrops were clinging to the pine trees, looking a little like ice.

The droplets were so still.

Lily pads must be like wax paper.

Looking For Bluebells, Found Poppies

I have been in a dark mood. My beloved is away and the weather has responded with clouds and mist. Ain't no sunshine when he's gone, stormy weather - New York has obliged. The sun will occasionally come through the clouds in a blast of light and heat, making jackets feel suddenly too heavy.

On the last day the sun was out I went looking for bluebells at the Botanic Garden.


Each year I plan on going there in May to see the electric blue flowers rolling out. Every year I forget until the end of the month. This year they were almost finished when I got there. May is always so hectic.

I wandered over to the lilacs, which smelled of childhood summers, but didn't inspire any pictures. On my way out of the garden, I discovered that the old herb garden has been replaced by wildflowers. (Not to worry, they are making a new herb garden down past the rock garden)

I am not a big fan of pansies, but I love the little ones that look as if they were hand painted.

The cornflowers were making striking contrasts.

It was the poppies that really caught my eye.