Botanical Gardens. Why Do I Love Them? Let Me Count the Ways!

Botanical gardens and arboreta -- The best outdoor photography studio for your pictures of gardens and flowers and much more ...

Get a membership and visit as often as you want. Stay up-to-date on events with the garden newsletter. Memberships have several money-saving advantages at the garden and you'll be supporting the good work they do.

As a nature lover and photographer, it's in your best interests to form a close relationship with your local botanical garden. The educational programs, garden gift shop and the garden craft show offer avenues of income to the flower and garden photographer.

But if you're just looking to enjoy your hobby rather than build a business, your membership is still worth its weight in gold.

So prepare to be entertained. There's a flower show and competition coming soon to a botanical garden near you.

Let's join a garden tour and learn more about the garden we'll be photographing. And when we're finished, how about dropping in to the restaurant for a leisurely latte or lunch?

Support your own local botanical garden for all the benefits it offers... you don't even have to do the weeding!

Stick around for an international tour -- savor some famous botanical gardens. The tour comes complete with tips on how to photograph flowers and gardens.

Botanical Garden Photo Galleries

From meager beginnings of monastic herbal gardens and naturopathic medicine to the grand gardens of the present...

In their infancy, botanical gardens weren't meant for public recreation. They existed solely for research purposes. Eventually, their gates opened to the public -- for a few reasons -- the most important was $$. Lucky for us!

Today, very few botanical gardens and arboretum are reserved for science alone... thank goodness!

The obvious advantage to hanging out at a botanical garden is to get some super...

Pictures of Gardens and Phenomenal Photos of Flowers

It doesn't get any better when you're learning how to photograph flowers and gardens. There's so much ground to cover, so many blooms and such a variety of terrain. It can be, well -- a bit daunting!

It's a multicultural event! In just one day and one garden you can visit Europe, Asia and maybe Central America! It'll look like you've been on a round-the-world trip when your friends check out your photos!

Reserve an entire day and you'll be able to take your time and keep your mind on your photography. Sometimes I walk the entire garden quickly, before snapping even one picture. Helps me make any last minute adjustments to my plan.

But start with a plan in mind and that means -- research the garden before you go.

I guarantee that even after a full day of photography you'll be wishing for more hours. At the end of the day, you'll be weary but, oh, so happy!

Seasonal Photography in the Garden

Photograph your favorite garden location every season. Be sensitive to the different light, blooms and colors of the garden as the seasons flow from spring to winter.

Snowy photos of gardens capture a sparkling, quiet time of regeneration... shhh! Everything's asleep!

Be sure to dress warm in winter...

Tripods and cameras suck the warmth right out of your hands. Your fingers will feel like ice cubes if you don't wear warm gloves or mitts. But just try to manipulate a camera wearing mitts or gloves!
I have a secret -- I knit some half- gloves/ half-mitts. The flap turns back and frees your fingers! They're my favorite photography mitts! Here's the pattern.

Wear warm walking boots or shoes with cushiony socks. Cold feet will ruin an otherwise glorious day.

And take a thermos of tea or coffee with you. The garden cafe or restaurant may not be open in the winter. You start out warm but botanical gardens cover a lot of territory! Murphy's Law -- the cold will grab you when you're at the farthest corner from your car.

Winter has soft colors for your garden photos. Snowy trees, evergreens and ponds are potential Christmas card material. You'll need some hints about photographing snow so it doesn't turn out grey.

Check the website or your newsletter to see if there's a special display or festival planned. Fabulous opportunity for seasonal photos. You might get a chance for some night photography so check here for tips.

Many botanical gardens have greenhouses. Ah, shelter from the cold plus an opportunity to shoot your flower stock photography.

But botanical gardens are much more than just a location to expand your collection of garden and flower photos...

Get Smart! Try a Botanical Garden Tour -- For Starters

Every botanical garden has an eager group of volunteers standing behind it. They carry out a whole host of duties including guided tours. Sign up to take a garden tour. They'll answer all your questions about the plants, sub-gardens or the garden's history. Tours are usually free.

Volunteers are great sources of information. They always seem so cheerful -- I'm sure it's the environment! You might even consider volunteering a little time yourself.

Education, in one form or another, is the botanical garden's biggest money-maker. Their course offerings are reasonably priced and usually discounted to members.

If I'm not learning something new, I get stale, bored and grumpy. So, I pick up a course as often as I can. Don't want people calling me grumpy!

If you're interested, check online for a list. Hopefully you'll find a garden photography course. A good deal of class time will be in the garden photographing and getting practical experience. Can't think of a better way to pass an afternoon.

If you'd like to teach and you've got the knowledge and talent, why don't you check into the requirements?

There's a botanical garden flower show and competition on right now! Don't just sit there -- grab the opportunity and your camera! Those blooms have been nurtured like no others. Pssst -- Don't forget to write down the names of the plants you photograph.

The horticulturalists can tell you all about those unfamiliar plants you were photographing in the garden last week! Always good to have a story to tell when you show off your flower photos.

Visit a Botanical Garden Gift Shop - and Other Indulgences

The garden gift shop... I never feel guilty about blowing my budget there. My dollar is supporting local craft people, the environment and the green way of life I believe in! Unique jewelry and ceramics, garden gadgets and tools, bird feeders... the range is extensive. And you can often get specialty books you won't find in general book stores.

I have a fettish for all things tea, so I head straight for the "tea-in-the-garden" section. My tea cup collection is getting way out of hand!

Here's a potential opportunity to make some money and put your name out there -- think about being represented in the gift shop. Browse everything on display. What could you supply? Flower note cards, garden posters, flower calendars?

Ask at their administrative office to speak to the person in charge of commissioning items. She'll advise you about what they do and don't need. Then she may invite you to bring some samples for her to consider.

The craft show - another option for enjoying the day or making some extra cash.

Chat up the local artisans and learn about their craft. Indulge yourself with something unique and extravagant.

Seek out the photographers and talk flower and garden photography. The vendors love to chat about their work. Go home with new ideas and put them into action. Start by making your own personal collection of garden and flower note cards.

If you decide to try your hand at craft sales, keep these things in mind..

Start small because you don't want to invest a fortune in something that won't sell. You have to recover the cost of your booth and your materials before you make any profit.
Craft shows are demanding both in preparation and in time spent at the show itself. You don't get much time to browse other booths and see other artisans' work.
Do you have a solid knowledge of business practice as well as a quality product?
If you're an introvert and you find crowds stressful, craft shows won't be your thing. They're for the highly social animal who loves crowds and talking for hours on end.
A booth at a large botanical garden in a well-run craft sale can be very expensive.
And the craft show will probably be "juried" -- meaning that your items must be approved by a committee. They have a reputation to uphold and after all, it's a business for both of you.

Done properly, craft fairs can be good money-makers. Or they can simply be a golden opportunity to shop and talk!

Travel to International Botanical Gardens

As for me -- well, I plan every vacation around parks and gardens. Haven't been disappointed yet!

Do your homework! That means Googling the garden situation. With luck, you'll find some famous botanical gardens at your destination!

Okay, so money's a bit tight these days - we're all feeling the pinch. How about scouting out your own neighborhood? You don't have to fly to exotic places to appreciate all the perks that botanical gardens and aboreta have to offer.

With a little research you'll discover gardens and arboreta you never knew existed, right in your own back yard! Put in some time on the internet. Or ring your local tourist board. Those folks are always pleasant and loaded with useful information.

I'm pretty sure you'll find something close by to fill the bill... without spending a lot of bills!

You may be a little fuzzy on the meaning of arboretum. Very simple! It's a collection of woody plants like trees or shrubs.

Sounds a lot like a botanical garden, right? If trees predominate - it's an arboreta. Both gardens serve the dual purpose of scientific study and public education.

It took awhile to actually name these tree gardens."Arboretum" became official in England in 1833 but, in practice, they were around way before then.

A way back... about 2050 BC, the Egyptians were active explorers with an interest in foreign trees. They kept their eyes open for ebony, cedar and frankincense, and any others that caught their fancy. When they were successful they sailed their loot back to Queen Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple at Deir el-Bahri.

That was the first recorded effort at transplanting trees. You can visit the ancient temples but alas.... lots of sand but no trees are to be found there now.

There's one arboretum that existed in 1492, and it's still thriving today. Take a trip to Croatia to visit the Arboretum Trsteno. The ancient aqueduct is still working hard -- they didn't have planned obsolescence in 1492!