(Port) Coquitlam Odysseus

Back in very early March, when it was winter from a botanical perspective (though most certainly not one in terms of temperature), my family and I took in the Van Dusen Botanical Garden. Like the gardens in the movie Being There, for many of the plants, it was winter. That said, at the time, it felt like spring. I found much to be moved by there, and I hope to go back often. The photos that I’ve posted here (and you can click on them for the full versions) gave me a certain amount of pleasure both to take, and, now, to post. Their tranquility and life are both needed.

The next image, while not one I was satisfied with in terms of lighting, shows these lovely minimalist, concrete square-ish dwellings that seem to mysteriously rise from the water pool. I fell in love with them immediately, and I would love to live in them if I could ever afford it. The people who live in them must have a lot of opportunity for wonder, contemplation, and creativity.

The cherry blossom trees were blossoming most beautifully. They are my favourite deciduous trees:

In the Van Dusen Botanical Garden, there are two diminutive Asian treasures: a Japanese “meditation garden,” a rock of which is shown below…

…and this, shown in three images from close-up to farther away:

The Korean pavilion is not a plant, but it fits nicely in the garden. Vancouver is privileged to have a beautiful Japanese garden and an equally lovely, though very different Chinese one (the subject of a future blog post). It’s nice to see a bit of traditional Korean architecture–decorated with lotus flower designs, no less–in the garden, too. I’m going to remember the Van Dusen Botanical Garden and these pictures I took there, and mentally retreat into this wondrous space now and then.