I approach the gardens with a firm grip on my camera. The sun shines brightly. Colorful flowers sway in the gentle breeze. I think to myself, this will NOT be a good day for pictures.

I look across the lawn and see an elderly couple wearing wide-brimmed, sun hats pulled firmly over their white hair. They both wear polo-type shirts; hers neon-pink, his neon-green, both neatly tucked in their baggy, khaki shorts. Their white socks are pulled to their knees. They look around and point at some flowers, discussing what they see.

I hear the jingle of a dog collar. I turn to see a happy pug prancing towards me. The owner, an older woman in her 60s, is dressed in a stylish skirt and blouse. Her long, golden-brown hair matches the color of the pug’s fur. Pulling back on the retractable leash, she shortens her pet’s leeway. The pug walks past, paying me no attention. She walks past, leaving behind a strong scent of perfume that lingers along the trail.

I walk around a corner and see a young couple, probably college students, standing with an awkward posture. While holding hands, they pose for a portrait underneath the canopy of a Japanese Wisteria. The young woman, an attractive brunette, wears a tight, red dress that clings smoothly to her thin frame. The young man, who is also in great shape, has a chiseled look to his clean-shaven face. He wears pleated khakis with a blue shirt and tie. Perhaps they are en route to a wedding, or perhaps they’re simply getting a portrait with an enhanced, outdoor surrounding.

A slim runner dashes past me.   The length of his lanky, thin legs is amplified by his skimpy running shorts. He makes a few quick turns and vanishes behind a stand of trees.

A middle-aged woman, probably in her forties, carries a large camera while walking parallel to me on another trail. She smiles at me as she probably recognizes we’re there for the same reason.

These are some of the people I encountered during my most recent visit to Virginia Tech’s Horticulture Garden. Almost everybody I saw had a smile on their face, a sign they were at presence, their psyche in harmony with the peace of the gardens, their attention placid to the calming environment. Or maybe it was just me…

I took the pictures below during various visits throughout the summer. My inclination for my last visit was true; it was too bright and breezy for my liking.

Dahlia

Dahlia

Rusty Foxglove

Cone Flower

Aeonium Echeveria

Aeonium Kiwi

Cone Flower

This agave plant had thorns that look like a type of shark’s teeth I find when fossil diving, hence the plant’s nickname, “Jaws.”

Jaws – A stalk that hasn’t unraveled yet.

Kalanchoe Flapjacks

Kniphofia Red Hot Poker

Nymphaea Pink Grapefruit

Senecio Confusus Mexican Flame Vine

Senecio Confusus Mexican Flame

Stokesia Laevis

Begonia Boliviensis Santa Cruz Sunset

A content Mallard hen after thoroughly cleaning herself.

Mallard hen, stretching

Agave Victoria-reginae

Lilium

Stormy Sunset