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.

Botanical gardens roots sprouted in monastic herbal gardens and naturopathic medicine and grew to the grand gardens of the present...

At first, botanical gardens weren't meant for public recreation. They were 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!

As a 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.

You'd be smart to join a garden tour and learn more about the garden you'll be photographing. And when you're finished, drop in to the garden restaurant for a leisurely latte or lunch.

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!

The black and white picture here is springtime in VanDusen Botanical Garden. This photo is a scan of a 35 mm negative. There is black and white slide film, a little pricey but you can always use film.

Or use color and then convert it to black and white photography in your photo editing program. There are some digital photogaphy professionals who say that you should always capture your digital photos in colour and then convert because you get much more information in your digital negative to work with... assuming that you're shooting RAW, that is!

It doesn't get any better than botanical gardens 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 will 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!

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.

Ever thought of snapping a picture of all the educational signs you see? Whenever I don't, there's always something that I read but can't quite remember. It's frustrating... it just takes a minute to record all the signs and posters in a garden.

The bees are always busy at VanDusen Botanical Gardens! They're incredible little honey machines. Visit them and find out all the wonderful facts about their lives. Look at all the free education here - worth taking a few shots, right?

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.

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.

December 1 2011... Just a short note about what what's happening with me right now. I've been making up some Christmas cards this week - trying out some new environmentally friendly card stock that Strathmore puts out.Love the quality. Take a peek.

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!