Visiting Nature

So often we get bombarded by daily life--skyscrapers, cell phones, laptops, traffic. Wake up, sit at the computer for 8 hours (or 9 in my case) and go home, only to have to look forward to the same thing the next day. We get so caught up in our own little technology bubbles that we, on occasion, need to just burst that bubble and relax for a minute! I find it amusing that while at one point in time (and not even that long ago) most of a person's work was done outdoors, tending to the fields or livestock, we now seek the outdoors as a means to escape the monotony and boredom, to detox from daily life.

It is for this reason a couple weeks ago that, when my co-workers invited me to join them in going to the Botanic Gardens in Encinitas, I thought it would be a lovely idea. We hopped in the car and drove to Encinitas. The drive alone is picturesque, as you drive up the 5 there's an amazing ocean view to the west that always makes me want someone else to drive so I can stare out the window, especially as the afternoon sun draws closer to the horizon.

We arrived at around 1030 to the delicate fragrance of cookies and pineapple. Why it smelled like that I have no clue, but it was a beautiful aroma of sweet florals wafting through the air. With more than 4 acres of gardens to explore, we decided to start at one end and work our way around the circle.

We began close to the gift shop and wound our way through the New Zealand, Central American, Canary Islands and Australian Gardens. Each garden has plants native to its appellation, various blooms and plants for as far as the eye can see.

The Children's Garden was my favorite, I think. They had a very interesting plant whose name I no longer recall, with beautiful drop blossoms and quarter-sized spheres with a curious texture.

Farther up the path are beautiful hibiscus flowers. Not only are they enticing to look at in their simplicity, I love hibiscus for tea on a cool cloudy day like today, or iced with some sugar for an agua fresca, to beat the hot summer sun-- and once upon a time, I even found candied hibiscus at Trader Joe's, which was delicious.

Walking past the waterfall in the Tropical Rain Forest, one may cross a bridge to an overlook. Of this, I wish I would have taken a picture. Looking down from the gazebo is all of Encinitas, newly built dream houses with white picket fences. Sigh, maybe someday. Looking outward, to the west, is the most picturesque ocean view. Light breeze, warm sun. On the edge, the very edge of the horizon, the eye makes out a large ship, moving along the waters shimmering from the afternoon sun...

By the time I realize I am still entranced by the ocean view, we've meandered to the Fruit Garden. Banana trees abound. Citrus trees have maturing fruit, tempting visitors to disregard the "DO NOT PICK FRUIT". It wasn't until now that I understood Adam and Eve's temptation!! What a shame that some of those perfect lemons and cara cara oranges with their deliciously pink flesh were on the floor.

On our way to the Herb Garden we found ourselves in the Desert Garden. Another lovely ocean view, but I chose to focus on the garden, which to my surprise had succulents mixed in with these:

And finally, walking through the Bamboo Garden, we saw many species of bamboo. My favorite was a two-toned bamboo with deep yellow stripes against the bright green shoots. Walking through one can also see the sculptures donated by local artists which reflect the tone of each garden. But the plants speak for themselves.

On the way out, I noticed that the Botanic Garden also has events on a regular basis, like a Chocolate Festival (in May, I'd love to go!) and a Lady Bug Day (my favorite insect). Visiting the Botanic Gardens set me right as rain. The relaxed pace at which we toured the gardens allowed me to literally stop and smell the flowers. Sometimes that's all we need to get us ready to go back to the real world.... Now where's my cell phone??