A final photo for 2025, one last from Garden Glow. It has been a tumultuous year in this country and I’m not particularly sanguine about the one to come. It’s some comfort, though, to remember how often predictions are wrong. Maybe, like Annie sang, the sun will come out tomorrow. Or maybe not, but I’ll keep observing.
As mentioned, due to family circumstances I need to finish out the year with some last pictures from Garden Glow. The inventiveness of the projections on Tower Grove House always surprises and delights. Someone asked if it was accompanied by narration. Not that, but there is an ever-changing musical score.
Another Garden Glow favorite that changes year to year. Tower Grove House was the home of the wealthy 19th Century merchant, Henry Shaw. He donated the land that became the Missouri Botanical Garden and adjacent Tower Grove Park. The projections on the building constantly change and evolve, and are different every year. Again, I marvel at the technology.
Over the years, my City Daily Photo colleague Steffe has posted a series of beautiful photos of an ancient tree near where he lives outside of Stockholm. The Missouri Botanical Garden has a magnificent, tall specimen (I’m ashamed that I don’t know the species) that is lit in the same way year after year. It looks ghostly, not in tune with the season’s cheery theme. Again, I can’t imagine the work it took to put all those lights up so precisely.
Groups of illuminated trees at Garden Glow. My first association was that they were being consumed by a magical fire. Then I thought they were being attacked by a swarm of radioactive fireflies.
A new display at Garden Glow, a flock (is that the right word for butterflies?) moving through the darkness. The reason for the sort of pretentious title is that, for some of us here, everything sounds better in French.
Much of the attraction at Garden Glow is the swirling, brightly colored lights. There is something to be said, though, for simply pattern. I thought black and white might be the best way to express it.
Another set of lights at Garden Glow. This one throbs with constantly changing colors and patterns. But there is a different way to approach this subject that I will explore tomorrow.
Just after entering Garden Glow at the Missouri Botanical Garden, visitors are led past a curved line of lights toward the Climatron. It is a geodesic dome containing a complex system of landforms and ventilation that replicates four climate zones.
Every year at this time, the Missouri Botanical Garden lights up the place for the holidays. The technology gets more and more amazing. The view here is across what is a reflecting pool in the warm months, changing color and dancing to music. More to come.
Big wind-up to the walk through Garden Glow at our botanical garden. The view is looking back across the central axis reflecting pool toward the Climatron. I took many shots of this view as the light patterns and colors constantly changed. This was my favorite.
We are in the air Wednesday, along with hoards of other Americans, for our Thanksgiving holiday. We were away on a road trip last weekend, so I may use some images from that as a bridge.
Another year-after-year favorite at Garden Glow. The lines of small lanterns are perfectly straight. The light colors and patterns are in constant flux. This might be better represented by a video, but this is a photography blog.
Not the riot of color found in most other displays at Garden Glow, but I like its simplicity and subtlety. And there is no way to find your way through it, only the long way around.
A tunnel of changing colors in motion. Not quite the same effect as when the Starship Enterprise goes into warp drive, but still pretty cool. The path is one way, with the lights moving away from visitors. You could feel like you are being sucked through. What happens when you come out the other end?
Another bauble in Garden Glow. The Climatron is a geodesic dome that contains four climatic zones, formed by complex internal shapes and air systems. As with lots of the other glow features, the colors change and pulse.
Just around the bend from the viewpoint in yesterday’s post, visitors to Garden Glow pass through curtains of pulsing light. A single exposure can only capture a moment. These lights were constantly changing color and pattern.
