#3: A Flower Filled Excursion

I wasn't expecting much when I heard our class on Monday would be at Penn State's very own arboretum. Thankfully I was pleasantly surprised. The fact that it was a bit chilly out didn't affect the beauty of the serene place at all. Standing under the white tent portion of the building itself made me think that this would be the perfect spot for a wedding. The scenery would be breathtaking in spring with all the flowers in bloom. The stone path that maps out the region around Penn State was a unique aspect of the area. I loved tracing my foot along the crevices engraved in the stone. I've never seen anything like it before.

I thought the arboretum was just the few planted areas surrounding the main building, but boy was I wrong. Paths led me to places I didn't expect to exist. My favorite spot was where all the sunflowers were where there were also gourds hanging on the trellise right in front of them. This reminded me of home because my neighbors down the street always plant sunflowers that always seem to grow taller than me. The gourds also reminded me of my parents since they use dried out gourds to decorate for the fall season. The bench under the trellise seemed like the ideal place to sit and slowly drink a warm cup of tea in the morning. Every part of this place compelled me to feel relaxed. 

Now, I'm normally never a nature lover. I hate creepy, crawly insects and things that slither, but I do have a soft spot for the beauty of plants and landscape. This reminded me that surrounding the bubble of happy valley is pure country. I loved all the vivid, bright colors engulfed in the arboretum. I was happily surprised to see peppers growing right next to big, bodacious flowers. I was so tempted to pluck one of the peppers off its stem. 

Another thing I was surprised at discovering was a small pond with many different types of lilly pads and flowers. I even caught a glimpse of a fish swimming around in there. It looked like I could sit on one of the pads because of its huge size, but after contemplating it, I would most definitely sink it. For some odd reason, the first memory that popped into my mind while looking at these floating plants, was of a frog jumper game I played as a child. Frogs would have to hop over a river on lily pads or they would drown. I half expected to see a frog hanging out on one of the lilly pads in the pond. Frogs and lily pads seem to be synonymous. 

On a broader note, everywhere I turned in the arboretum, I discovered something even more beautiful than the last. Looking back through the many pictures I took, I couldn't believe I actually took the pictures there. Most of them look like they came out of a magazine because the colors are so vibrant and lively. Seeing as the arboretum is right in my back yard, I would love to go back there when it's warmer out. It seems like the ideal place to layout with my books and have a nice long study session. Who knew Penn State would have such a beautiful haven!?

Here are some pictures I took while at the arboretum: