Horticultural weekend

This past weekend I went with a friend to Hot Springs, Arkansas for a gardening symposium put on by Horticulture magazine. The weather was spectacular - cool, crisp, and clear. Of course the unfortunate thing was that we were all inside a hotel for much of the day for the symposium! Still, at the end of the day we all journeyed forth to Garvan Woodlands, a shady botanical garden just outside Hot Springs. For much of our walk through the garden there was an Asian theme, as you can see in this "moon" bridge.

One of my favorite things there were the rocks. They're really beautiful and interestingly, very much like the rocks that I've had to buy to add some dimension to my own garden. I believe the rocks I bought are from Arkansas since our area of the state has none (maybe all of Louisiana has none??).

It was starting to get dark outside when we found this little jewel. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of it. Something about a pipe??

At the end of the tour we saw this spectactular wood and glass framed chapel. There was just enough light to still see the trees outside.

The next day my friend and I took a scenic drive into Hot Springs National Park. Here you can see the mixed hardwoods on North Mountain as well as the view of some smoky mountains in the distance. I can't wait to go back to Hot Springs again to take some time for hiking.