Yoga, warmth, and lush greenery in the garden
I have alternating memories of my first experience with a yoga class, which was conducted on a balmy winter morning under a teasing sun on the grounds of the on the west coast of Florida. (Yes, I took yet another trip to get warm. are tough.)
1: I remember attuning my now-bendable body with nature as the violet flower petals of Queen鈥檚 Wreath [see first photo above]聽 danced around my head cloudlike amid the verdant splendor.
Or 2: I remember lying in a grassy puddle for an hour, hacking up sandpaper vine (its other name) blossoms after every other studied inhalation. Guess I was supposed to bring a mat. (And not just a mat 鈥� a .) Who knew?
But the limbering-up was much needed after a few days of sloth on , and any event that involves a botanical garden is aces in my book. This one prides itself on being 鈥渁 place of bliss鈥� and 鈥渁 state of happiness.鈥� Perhaps with more yogic practice I will one day achieve grace in the garden.
The 170-acre garden is only 20 years old, and received a stunning renovation 15 years later. My favorite aspects were the 2-1/2 miles of hiking trails and the 90 acres of restored native preserve. (Think swamp and scrub.) Almost 300 native species occur naturally on a site just outside the .
Other gardens include Florida, Caribbean, Brazilian and Asian landscapes [see second and third photso above; click on the arrow at the right base of the first photo], and also water, children鈥檚, and butterfly gardens. In the Children鈥檚 Garden, I especially liked the little and the sign explaining horticultural 鈥済nomenclature.鈥� Puns and posies. Can鈥檛 beat that.
And another thing: I sure wish I had also ventured into the garden the day before as well. They have a puppy day, and visitors are invited to bring their dogs. Never heard of anything like that before. Puns and posies and puppies!
What else I鈥檓 into this week: Reading issues of the garden鈥檚 .
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Craig Summers Black,The Transplanted Gardener, is an award-winning garden writer and photographer who blogs regularly here at Diggin' it. You can read more of what he's written here at the Monitor by clicking here. You may also follow Craig鈥檚 further adventures in gardening, music, and rural life on .
