Guest author, Beth Selsor shares an early morning experience in the Winterthur Garden.
On Monday morning, I arrived at work very early so I could get out into the garden to see my favorite tree, a magnolia called Wada’s Memory. It is my favorite tree in the garden and it only blooms early in April. If you miss it on the one day that the beautiful white blooms are perfect, it’s just not the same tree. It’s still beautiful but it has one true day of absolute glory.
I walked through the pool area and up garden lane into the sundial garden to see the (my) tree. The sun was very low in the eastern sky so as I approached the tree I was disappointed as I thought I had missed its height of beauty. Then I realized the sun was so bright that it was causing me to be unable to see the blossoms. I walked around to the other side of the tree and was rewarded with the full beauty of this amazing tree.
I stood gazing at the tree for a full 10 minutes or so, delighted that I had caught its full beauty this year. With the sun on my back, standing in this spectacular garden, admiring this tree doing its Easter egg imitation in nature, it was a truly spiritual experience and I felt so blessed to I have this garden to enjoy in every season.
I wasn’t quite ready to start work so I wound through the paths passing the glade ponds, said good morning to the fish and headed back to my office, appreciating the perfect start to another week of work at Winterthur.
Author, Lisbeth L. Selsor lives in Delaware and works at Winterthur Museum & Country Estate.
