The Serene Arboretum

H.O Botanical Gardens at the Penn State Arboretum

        I would say I am pleasantly surprised at how impressed I was of my first visit at the Arboretum. I’m usually not a huge nature lover since I am deathly afraid of spiders, as I am sure most girls are. As much as a hate being categorized in that stereotype, it is the main reason I avoid any outdoor activities. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the simplicity of the beauty of nature. I enjoy activities such as this one where is doesn’t involve me being trapped with a bunch of creepy crawler, such as camping or hiking, but it still allows me to be outside and observe nature in a way where it is comfortable and enjoyable.

            I actually could imagine myself coming here again. As we were discussing the group project I was observing a couple eating lunch together on the bench in the middle of the flowers. While watching them I just kept thinking how I wanted to go get lunch and eat it in this beautiful setting! It is very peaceful and I can see it as an escape from our campus, which is always swarming with people. The serene appearance of this garden just puts you at ease the second you enter the property.

            In the beginning I saw gorgeous flowers. As I kept walking I continued to see more flowers. Now, as much as I love flowers after awhile I wanted to see something else, something different. Beyond many pathways I came across something that I believe to be beautiful. It was a lily pond consisting of plant life that wasn’t necessarily found around the garden. Of course there were the beautiful flowers in the pond and as much as that was lovely, something else caught my attention. The roots of the flowers, beneath the surface, come across very intriguing to me. It was ugly in a pretty kind of way, if that makes any sense at all. To me, it resembled creepy hands reaching out of the water connecting to the beautiful flowers. It wasn’t what most people would consider the ‘pretty’ part of the lily pond, but to me it was the most interesting and it held my attention. I always feel as though the most beautiful things in nature are the things that are most unique and intricate. They are the things you cannot find everyday and everywhere you go. it might not mean they are the most gorgeous of things, but they definitely deserve some focus. 

            As well as the lily pond catching my attention, I of course loved the sole bench within the vine-covered roofing. It creates such a beautiful picture and to me it seemed as though it was be something on a painting or a storybook cover. I saw a lot of other students in the class taking pictures of it as well, so I guess we all showed a similar interest!

            Overall I enjoyed my experience at the garden today. I saw infinite flowers, which are always strikingly gorgeous. I got to appreciate the inner beauty of a lily pond and really examine what is beneath the surface instead of just looking at the typical flowers floating at the top! We all lucked out with the perfect day we had to explore the Arboretum.

Here is the plant life beneath the surface. It kind of resembles something trying to grab its way to the surface. To me, in person, it resembled hands reaching out. It was a bit creepy, but definitely interesting and worth exploring!

Here is the beautiful surface of the pond covered in flowers such as these. Of course these are very striking, but I believe the really interesting stuff is beneath all of this exterior, typical beauty.

This is just a simple, yet calming scene. It was very peaceful, well put together, and beautiful!