It’s spring and those of us with a green thumb (I am not included) are finding their way to the garden to begin the season’s plantings. In her challenge this week, Amy writes, “We are looking forward to seeing photos of the gardens you have visited, your own garden, or your experience of gardening.” You can read her entire challenge post here.

I may not have a green thumb, but I sure enjoy visiting gardens when I find I am near one. For one thing, they are great opportunities for photography. At the Denver Botanical Garden, I noticed a volunteer gardener working. The photo became an experiment for another photo challenge asking us to emulate impressionist art. I used Photoshop Elements to give the image a pointillistic look.

On one of our trips, we stopped in St. Louis at the Missouri Botanical Garden. I was struck by the design of the Linnean House with the background of a truly interesting sky. The building houses exhibits of plants that wouldn’t normally survive in Missouri’s natural environment.

The Victorian Garden District is one of the garden’s most popular attractions. There are over 300 volunteers and staff members who keep all of the gardens looking great. They even have a large database that tracks all of the plants that are or have ever been in the garden.

Humans aren’t the only beings that visit gardens. This dragonfly is resting on a water plant in one of the lily ponds in the garden.

This visitor is enjoying a snack at the North Dakota State University’s Horticultural Research Center Garden in Fargo.

Regular readers know that if I see a bridge, I must photograph it. This pedestrian bridge crosses a small stream in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, North Carolina.

“You’ve just taken a photo of an optical illusion,” I heard just after snapping the shutter on my camera. I turned to look for the speaker. It was a gentleman volunteer from the Denver Botanic Garden. He commented that the design of the landscape is meant to make it look longer than it really is. The walkway and green areas all taper toward the distance and the trees bordering the garden area are shorter at the far end from where this photo was captured. The walk down the path didn’t take nearly as long as one might think. It is a great illusion you have to experience to really feel the effect.

I conclude this post hoping I meet Amy’s challenge with an image I’ve shared before in another photo challenge. I’m sorry, I like it. It is one of the many beautiful flowers on display at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Feel free to click on an image to give it a closer look.

John Steiner