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April 13, 2009
The Bulbs Go On
I hope you had a happy Easter if you care about Easter. I don't, particularly, but I will say that yesterday was an absolutely glorious day, bright and calm and fine. I couldn't help thinking of people who had gotten new outfits, and and imagining how happy they would be to have such a lovely day to wear those new outfits. I was already in a good mood, but thinking of how happy so many other people would be, even if it involved a celebration I don't partake in, made me happier. That's how nice the weather was yesterday.
But I also liked Saturday, which was gray, damp and rainy. I spent Saturday afternoon with friends, and told them they HAD to visit Temple Square, because it's stunning right now. I swear, I've never seen anyplace as aggressive about planting bulbs as Salt Lake City--and the results are lovely. (I'm not saying there aren't other places that don't plant more, just that I haven't seen them.) I had already made a visit or two to TS to enjoy the bulbs--but it's just so hard to go there without being accosted by sister missionaries.
But I figured a damp Saturday evening, particularly when it was the evening before Easter, might be a good time to wander the gardens without being bothered by anyone wanting to chat me up about religion. And I was right! I got a few nods from people scurrying around without umbrellas, but not one was inclined to stop and talk to me, except for a guy sitting on a retaining wall right inside the gate to Temple Square. He had a large plastic cup of--something; he was so drunk I could smell the alcohol wafting off him even ten feet away. He asked my permission to say something he hoped wouldn't offend me, then told me I was a really good-looking lady. Since he didn't try to hit me up for change or ask me to hang out with him, I felt inclined to trust his sincerity, so I wished him a good evening, having had one myself.
And even though I suspected the light would be lousy and feared it might be too wet for photography, I took my camera. The light wasn't great, but the rain never became too heavy to interfere with taking a picture. So here are the results.
This is a photo of the beds to the north of the Assembly Hall, which is my favorite building on Temple Square. I really like this color scheme.
This bed is outside the visitors' center, one of my least favorite buildings at TS. This bed isn't as unified and matchy as a lot of others, but I really like it.
I like the planters full of pansies hanging on the wall.
I think this bed of pansies and pink tulips is really sweet.
I like this funky color of hyacinth. My favorite is the more conventional purple, but this one is nice too.
This bed is between the Joseph Smith Building and the other church office building. Quite pretty.
I used to hate that Wordsworth poem where his heart dances with the daffodils, but when I see something like this, I hate the poem a lot less. I even sorta get it.
Here is one of my favorite flowers. I ADORE hyacinths--the way they look, the way they smell, the way there are dozens of tiny blossoms on one big stalk. I love the way they smell so much that I'll get down on my knees to sniff one from time to time, but I especially love walking past a big bed of them and catching their scent from an obliging breeze.
Wanted to see if I could capture the raindrops on this tulip. Not so much.
This is a better photo. I really like these tulips--they seem to be dwarfs or something. They're different.
This is not a picture of bulbs, but the flowering trees are really pretty.
Posted by holly at April 13, 2009 8:28 AM
Very pretty!
It must be fascinating to live so near Temple Square to just go there on an ordinary walk...