Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Flowers and Finds...

One of my favorite places in Asheville is the Botanical Gardens. It's actually one of the first places that I went to when I was first introduced to the city. Cynthia and Greg got married there, aptly dressed in faerie finery. Yesterday we stopped by for a short walk. (I loaded up on the Claritin, as I'm allergic to something in the air here and there are tons of flowers in bloom.)

Some of the things that I particularly love about the Botanical Gardens in Asheville are the many bridges, overlooks and creeks that zigzag across the property. I always find that bodies of water to be powerfully magical places. The in-between places where earth and water meet are profound – a mixing of the elements.

As I mentioned, there were tons of flowers in bloom. Spring is probably tied with autumn as my most loved season. The Botanical Gardens were carpeted with foam flowers, bleeding hearts, and dogwood blossoms.

Above is a picture of Max and Cynthia looking at the pebble-strewn creek. I spent some of our time there combing the banks for interesting artifacts. Bits of glass and pottery can be found here, tumbled slightly from the rolling waters.

Here are the treasures I plucked from the creek. Max helped me find them. I was delighted in the different types of glass and bottles. I even found some old milk glass, glowing with a faint peachy luminesce. I also found bits of mica, still partially trapped in rock and stones that sparkled with flecks of fool's gold. I might set some of these river treasures in jewelry, or more likely put them in a box to await the perfect project.

8 comments:

TesoriTrovati said...

What a magical place that looks to be. That picture of Cynthia with Max is precious. Thank you for sharing! Enjoy the day, Andrew!
Erin

SummersStudio said...

I've just come back from High Point last weekend. The dog wood and azalea are pure magic right now. It's a beautiful time of year for a visit to Asheville.

Unknown said...

Nice peacefulness. I need some of that in Virginia! Lovely family photo and pics Andrew!

Anonymous said...

My husband and I were married there as well, it is such a beautiful place. I used to love sitting on the large rocks in the middle of the stream.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely place, I love the photos,we are in the upstate of SC and love going to Asheville. Love reading your blog, your art is amazing!

terri said...

Hi Andrew.
I'm looking forward to seeing it in October--I'll be joining you & Kate for "Capturing the Moment"! I'm sure we'll have a fantastic time.
-terri

Andrew Thornton said...

How lovely, Terri! I am excited to share some of my favorite places here. It's such a rich area. I wish we had a few more days to really do everything.

jamberry_song said...

I love places like this. So beautiful, magical. :) Thanks for sharing these beautiful pictures!