Rush! Hurry! Deadlines! Life can become an anxious wheel of expectations which seems to spin out of control. --- Occasionally, you just have to take a break.

On a recent business trip to Atlanta, Georgia, I made sure to include a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden. It is a delightful haven hidden amid the bustling city.

Although I have never been a maven of horticulture, I truly enjoy a fine garden. Summer dreams are often twitterpated with such. Those with gardening skills and knowledge of the craft are among my most admired.

With great haste, I set foot on the curving trail. The screaming voice of over-wrought agendas soon faded to a mere whisper. I found myself admiring the shapes, colors, and textures before me. Amazing. Simply amazing.

Rays from the summer sun peered through the canopy of overhead limbs highlighting the delicate blossoms below. Every turn of the path seemed to be a visual buffet of foliage. Some species were quite familiar, while others were strikingly new to me. Thankfully, many of the plants were noted with identification tags.

The saunter almost immediately became an adventure, as a mixture of native and exotic plants lured me to see more. While nature took center stage, the architecture of the skywalks, bridges, and trails played a stunning supporting cast. The details of mosaics, art installations, and artisanal seating completed the experience.

Discovery included:

--An array of succulents and cacti. --Memories of America’s southwest flooded my mind.

--An Asian garden with a teahouse and pond. ---Bamboo fencing and thatch added the perfect details.

--A classic parterre adorned with colorful blossoms and fountains. ---the Chihuly sculpture crowning the centerpiece fountain was an incredible feature!

--A massive orangery filled with orchids, ferns, fountains, and exotic palms was a step into a foreign land. –So colorful!

--A vertical garden. Such a melange of textures and colors! This was incredible!

--A vegetable garden. --Not your average tomatoes and potatoes.

--A children's garden full of fun and character.

Cacti

Asian Beauty

Orangery

Vertical Garden

Vegetable Garden

Children's Garden

Perchance the most enchanting aspect of the adventure was the “Alice in Wonderland” exhibit. It was there that several characters from the beloved Lewis Carroll book were realized in the form of larger-than-life topiaries. A smile seemed to dance across everyone’s face within this particular garden.

Alice, Cheshire Cat, Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, and more were present. Each character was created as a mosaiculture via a palette of appropriately selected plants.--The afternoon sun seemed to highlight each. It was a definite “WOW” moment. I did not want to leave. It was like I could not take it all in. I just wanted to stand in awe.

Before I knew it, nearly 3 hours had escaped! -- Unbelievable. The juggernaut of daily life had hit the pause button and I just didn’t care. This was truly a trip to “Wonderland”. I had enjoyed every minute of it.

I chuckled to myself as I remembered the words of White Rabbit:

“The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.”

---Perhaps these are wise words to consider in life.

This was A Moment in America.

2 Comments

Aug 28, 2020, 1:41:42 PM

Austin Rese - It is a very enchanting place. I think you would truly enjoy it. They are having a "scarecrow" event for this fall which should be fun.

Aug 28, 2020, 11:30:45 AM

Kim C - I have never been but will make a point to next time I’m down that way. awesome! thank you for sharing!

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A Trip to Wonderland