It was a blazing afternoon with temperatures entering triple digits, and WAG thought of no better way to savor the sunshine than with a visit to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.
We were greeted by a hanging display of Dale Chihuly’s whimsical glass sculptures, whose cool greens and blues offset the hot sun. A few steps farther, and another of Chihuly’s sculptures brought color to a circular pool, with highly saturated, red reeds jutting toward the sky, their base supported by wooden logs.
We ventured without a thought to where the path would lead us – but that’s when the best adventures occur. And so they did. Heading back toward the entrance, we passed other guests who were looking to a pool for inspiration as they painted watercolor interpretations of the installation before them. It was another Chihuly piece, this one of glass spheres filling a rowboat, evocative of a traditional fishing boat. The globes are various sizes, ranging from that of a baseball to a basketball – and larger – in a sea of color, from splashy shades to deep tones, a blend of both, and everything in between.
We wandered into the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, an ethereal, concentric arrangement of multicolored roses, some in beds, some climbing lattice fences and some whose petals had fallen, speckling the ground like confetti. A blend of floral scents filled the air, mingling to create the most beautiful smell.
It was breathtaking, to say the least.
To break from the heat, we sat on large rocks, overlooking the Snuff Mill Waterfall. Feeling the mist on our skin and listening to the gentle sounds of rushing water were enough to refresh our stamina – preparing us for the walk back to reality.
Nonetheless we would take the memory of our magical day with us.
For more, visit nybg.org.
– Danielle Renda
