What I did on my Summer Vacation

Memorial Day Weekend means parades, barbecues and planting the Display Gardens at Rutgers Gardens. Truthfully, I did no planting. I acted as a runner, bringing plants to those who were planting and collecting the empty containers. This allowed me time to pause and document the event with my camera, my other responsibility. I’m getting better at taking pictures of people. There are some really fun candid shots from the weekend.

I couldn’t resist the temptation, though, to photograph the gardens themselves. I started as soon as I parked my car at Holly House. Normally the volunteers park along the road by the Display Gardens. We had been asked to use the Holly House parking lot to keep the road clear for the weddings that were going on over the holiday weekend.


There is a lovely little garden at Holly House. It surrounds the patio with its shady seating. Not surprisingly, my favorite was this pretty peony.


From Holly House, my route to the Display Gardens took me through the Shrub Gardens. A happy surprise were these late blooming lilacs.



I took my time walking through them so that I could enjoy their fragrance.

I wasn’t the only photographer working in the gardens this weekend. On Sunday, I was able to spend some time chatting with a real photographer who does a lot of work in the gardens. He is always very generous with advice.

I noticed that he was intently photographing some alliums that were past their prime.

When I took a closer at them, I saw what attracted him to them.

Sometimes you need to look at something through someone else’s eyes to appreciate its beauty.

There were a surprising number of flowers in the vegetable garden.

What had been a yellow cloud of blossoms last week,

Has become fringes of seedpods this week.

I am fascinated by this common sage which has both white and purple blooms.

Even the wildflowers in the vegetable garden are striking.

I will leave you with a portrait of everything needed to plant the Display Gardens.

Trowels, a design and spray paint to outline the beds. Just add flowers.