Landing in a garden

Those flying into the Norfolk airport get to see the nearby botanical wonder twice-from the air and on the ground.

The view from an airplane enchants me. Because I fly so much, I spend hours gazing out the window, trying to identify the landmarks spread beneath the jet. I've reveled in the bird's-eye view of mountain peaks, sighed at the beauty of an ocean's waves, and puzzled over what must be growing on spectacular stretches of farmland.

I was engaged in just such a fanciful pursuit recently while approaching the Norfolk International Airport. The plane banked sharply. Looking out, I was convinced the pilot was about to plop us down in the middle of a garden. We safely touched down on asphalt, of course, but my curiosity was piqued. I quickly began to search for this secret garden, only to find that it is no secret at all to the people of Norfolk and many of their visitors.

The Norfolk Botanical Garden graces 155 acres between Lake Whitehurst and the airport. Guests can tour the gardens using three different modes of transportation-in a boat, aboard a tram, or on foot. And with more than 20 themed gardens, there's plenty to explore.

"We maintain a yearlong cycle of plants," says Mark Weathington, director of horticulture. "There's something in bloom every day."

By September, the garden's camellias, azaleas, and hydrangeas have long since quit blooming. Still, I believe a September garden possesses a less showy, more subtle beauty.

The grasses turn golden, and the trees blush with the first hints of autumn color. Crepe myrtles bow low, wearing crowns of white and deep pink, and wildflowers scatter their seeds with abandon. Some of the rosebushes still unfurl colorful blossoms.

My favorite area this time of year is the Bristow Butterfly Garden. Early in the day, it's not unusual to see clouds of monarchs, swallowtails, or painted ladies. The gardeners here offer plants they know these winged beauties crave.

As I sit in the embrace of the garden's butterfly bench, I ponder the flight of an incredible monarch that flutters and soars and nibbles at the lantana blooming nearby. What must the garden look like to him as he peers down from the cockpit of his body?

I watch him for several minutes. As crazy as it may seem, I decide that when soaring, butterflies see the garden much as I did from the air. And like me, they're glad they stopped for a closer look. CASSANDRA M. VANHOOSER

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Sep 2003
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