“There came a Day at Summer’s full/ Entirely for me.” - Emily Dickenson

It’s August and I am taking in all the beauty of this season. The sun is always shining and flowers are in full bloom.

And one of the most unforgettable flower I saw in bloom are water lotus. It was just a few weeks ago when I took my mother to the local Buddhist temple and got to witness this for the first time.

So on my next visit to the temple I had my camera ready to capture some of the blooms. But sadly it looked like all the flowers were gone. But what remained was something just as interesting. There were pods after pods of water lotus seeds.

Here is a photo of the youngest pod. During the life cycle of the water lotus, the flower blooms, the petals die out and then the fruit pod grows. Eventually the dried pods drops off and float on the surface of the water flat side down. This way the seeds can sink to the bottom of the pond and a new cycle begins.

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If you live in the New York area or planning a visit there - be sure to stop by The New York Botanical Garden this summer.

They will be having a summer long celebration of growing great food.  The theme this summer is “The Edible Garden“.  Tickets cost for this event is between $20 - $35.

It will be starting this weekend, from June 27 through September 13th.

This is part of the Nancy Bryan Luce Herb Garden.  It must smell nice here.  Photo from NY Botanical Garden. The place covers 250 acres and has 50 gardens and plant collections.  So there’s something to see in every season, from flowers to herb.

The Garden-wide, summer-long celebration features horticulture displays, fun-filled food and gardening festivals, and programs that demonstrate the bounty of edible plants, teach vegetable growing and garden design, and offer demonstrations from celebrity chefs and experts.

Starting on the weekend of June 27 to 28, they will celebrate local food with cooking demonstrations and lectures featuring Martha Stewart, Dan Barber, and Amy Goldman.

For fans of Emeril Lagasse, be sure to visit on September 12 and 13.  Festival highlights “Buy local, cook global”.  There will be lively festival of food, culture, and plants.

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