A tree hugger I am!
The weather here in the Pacific Northwest has returned to it's normal June weather. Whew!
Right before the heat arrived I met a friend at Leach Botanical Gardens for a walk among the trees. My friend lives near the gardens, but doesn't venture out often alone and had not visited these gorgeous gardens and trees. I love showing her what is in her own backyard and for me returning to a garden I love walking in. Even as the day was warming up, under the trees we could still see moisture sparkling on the ferns. I know the sparkle doesn't show up well on the first picture, but it stopped us both with it's beauty. It was like diamonds there just for us.
The gardens, during the pandemic, had done some renovating. They added this bridge through the trees just to walk and be with the trees and look down on the garden.
I did title this post "Hug a Tree". More and more I have become a tree hugger. During the winter I read Forest Bathing by Dr. Qing Li. What a fascinating book. To start the book he says, "We all know how good being in nature can make us feel. We have known it for millennia. The sounds of the forests, the scent of the trees, the sunlight playing through the leaves, the fresh, clean air--these things give us a sense of comfort. They ease our stress and worry, help us to relax and to think more clearly. Being in nature can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, refresh and rejuvenate us."
So I walk outdoors, I go to the trees as often as possible.
I look down and find the beauty of little flowers sitting next to the tree. They are joined together in mutual admiration.
The Oregon grape was fully fruited and more beautiful than I remembered.
From below the bridge we admired the trees from another angle.
Wild strawberries covered the ground. Here and there were flowers in bloom.