A small escape – to a local garden at the height of spring – can also be a return. A return to your senses and a grounded feeling of being-in-world.
It’s not really necessary to travel far in order to escape, is it? What’s important is that your escape nudges you back towards the primordial ground of existence and returns you to a body-mind that allows wonder at the vastness of this world.
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These photographs were taken a few days ago at Bellevue Botanical Garden in Bellevue, Washington.
My brief escape did the job. I returned to my senses and left my worries behind.
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In order, the plants are:
Allium ‘Globemaster’ (two photos)
Iris laevigata ‘Variegata’
Iris sibirica ‘Viel Schnee’
Iris confusa
Peony; unknown cultivar (two photos)
Papaver orientale; unknown cultivar (Oriental Poppy)
Iris ‘Rosario’
Iris x hollandica ‘Symphoy’
Allium ‘Globemaster’ and Berberis thunbergii ‘Aurea’ (Ornamental Onion and Japanese Barberry)
Polygonatum; unknown cultivar and (?) (Solomon’s Seal and ?)
Iris sibirica; unknown cultivar
Meconopsis ‘Lingholm’ (Himalayan Blue Poppy)
Hakonechloa and Hosta; unknown cultivars (Japanese Forest Grass and Hosta)
Iris sibirica ‘Penny’s Worth’
Hosta; unknown cultivar
Allium christophii (Star of Persia Ornamental Onion)
Iris sibirica ‘Blue King’
Peony; unknown cultivar
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A plethora of other notions of what escape means can be found here.
bluebrightly 
Beautiful photographs of the flowers, which are themselves so beautiful.
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Aren’t they? So elegant! Thank you for commenting – I always appreciate hearing from you. I have been remiss in reading blogs this week & look forward to visiting you soon –
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Wow that is a beautiful collection of flowers! Photos are stunning.
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Thanks for stopping by, and thank you very much for commenting – glad you enjoyed them!
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Beautiful flowers beautifully photographed!
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Ah, thank you very much, I appreciate it.
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They are gorgeous! Iris has always been one of my favorite flowers; those rich deep hues of blue and purple are truly regal ones! I do miss painting those lovelies from life! z
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There’s an Iris garden in a little town in New Jersey with very old varieties – some from the 1500’s (not the plant, you know, the variety) and going through to the present. You can trace how they’ve evolved, with our help, into these big, intensely colored, elegant flowers, with so many variations. They stick with the Bearded ones, pretty much, like we remember from childhood. The garden above has mostly Siberian types. Oh, I wish you could fly there with your paints right now! I would meet you, but it’s a long trip for both of us——————–http://presbyirisgardens.org/wordpress/———Ha! They’re WordPress, too!
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yes, there’s something soothing about the old fashioned varieties of flowers, especially the aromas. being immersed in a garden full of lovely iris ‘fields’ must be a memorable gift to the senses!
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Beautiful shot!
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Beautiful!
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Thank you Anne.
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very fitting, the Chelsea Flower Show opens today in London.
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And you will be reporting???? Hope so!
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sadly, no ticket this year 😦
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Well, where you live, there must be many, many other great resources for garden flowers, right?
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absolutely although they are suffering this year wheressummergone?
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Each one is such a treat for the eyes and soul! I do love those blue irises, but is the blue what drives you to them, Ms. bluebrightly?
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Nice to hear from you – I’ve been remiss in reading blogs and will visit you soon…oh, the irises, their colors are so intense! A mass of blue ones is so soothing…I do love blue. As a child, a particular brilliantly deep, bright blue painted wall near a parking lot was a highlight of trips to the city near us. It was like Yves Klein blue, if you know that.
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No worries! I am not familiar with Yves Klein, but will now investigate, since I’m sure it will be worth my time.
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Joys of google…and image searches…by now you’ve seen that blue!
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oh my indeed! gorgeously blue!
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The flowers are, of course, gorgeous, and you of course have taken gorgeous photographs of them. And of all these striking images, of the colors, their lines, their delicate features, I really liked the hostas. I have quite a few hostas and I love their leaves, the shape, the texture, the colors. They aren’t the garden beauties, but I love them. Great post Lynn and your thoughts about escape are absolutely spot on! 🙂
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Thank you. Hostas are great, aren’t they? I think we have to thank the Japanese for starting the Hosta hybrid craziness, with the blue leaves and bumpy textures and everything else. It’s a world unto itself. I used to have some I was entranced by, long ago. They blend so beautifully. I should do a Hosta post – they provide more than a backdrop, really. Oh, and I was thinking as a took these pictures that I’ve got to get back & do more before they all get torn and ragged.
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I just escaped and *Became a Bee* for those moments while looking at your photographs BBrightly 😀
They are staggeringly impressive … the colours just sing and jump off the page .
Glad you made an escape for our benefit 🙂
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I’m glad you enjoyed all this floral frenzy…it was a good session. End of an overcast/threatening day, and almost no one was there – why?!
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Especially love the first one! That bee in the botanical garden is enjoying a great life. 😉
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He/she is! Thank you Ruth!
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I’m speechless with admiration and envy…WOW…seriously W O W
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Well Wow back at ya – that’s very nice to hear!
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So vibrant! Beautiful photos.
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Thank you – you’re doing some great work there in Sydney, too!
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Beautiful captures – it’s hard to choose a favorite, they’re all amazing. I’ve never seen a blue poppy, though, so that may be my winner.
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Thank you – and thanks for stopping by.
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Very well put, Lynn! And the images are lovely!
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Thank you very much – I appreciate your comment! I was worried there was a little too much “stink” and I think you know what I mean…
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These pictures are so beautiful!
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so true..escape is a trick and a game of some sort. it is our own way of playing riddles with our heart. all travels are already within us..i guess. love the photography and the words. thank you for taking me to spring..:)
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And thank YOU or your thoughtful comment – I appreciate it very much.
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u r welcome:)
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A nice set of photos. Most of these plants have cousins in my garden but mine will not be in bloom for three or four weeks yet. Small flower gardens are often havens of peace and beauty.
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Thank you – the anticipation is almost as good as the reality, isn’t it?
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I love the first two pictures best… the incredible detail … and you seem to have had a great escape taking such a pretty set of photos 🙂
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Thank you! I appreciate the comment – yeah, some days are rich with visual opportunities. Glad you liked them. The Alliums are just covered with bees these days.
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questi colori sono così nitidi e belli che sembrano uscire dal computer e fare festa nella mia stanza
thanck so muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Ventis
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A translator says you said, “These colors are so sharp and beautiful, that seem to come out from the computer and have a feast in my room.” I LOVE that! So Grazie, grazie to you!
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A wonderful escape and each one with their own special beauty. So good to hear you escaped your worries!
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Thank you Patti – and I know that as stressful as NYC is, you have some equally great escapes – the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, NYBG, Central Park, etc.
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Some of the macros in this set are magical. Great work
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I’m very glad you liked them! thanks!
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Blue, your escape became our botanical pleasure! What a plethora of beautiful flowers! Your images are stunning.
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Hey, thank you! I appreciate that!
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Pretty and peaceful enough to slow the heart beat…..
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Thank you for another sensitive remark –
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Your flower photos are phenomenal, Lynn. I adore them all, especially the ones where the flower is in focus and the background is blurred. 🙂
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Thank you Cathy – when I got my first non-point-&-shoot camera, that was the primary thing I was excited about being able to do – to have control over the focus and the aperture to make those pretty close-ups of flowers with blurred backgrounds. It was the biggest motivator, I think.
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These are gorgeous pictures. I’m glad they took you away from the grind! 🙂
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Thank you – I need to go back! 🙂
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To the grind, or the gorgeous pictures? hahaha
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