April 2010 – Denise Bush's Photo Blog

Garden enthusiasts everywhere rush to the garden once Spring arrives; raking, digging, pruning and nurturing plants that have managed to survive another winter. I have done my share of gardening over the years but have cut back recently, tired of fighting with the deer, voles, poor soil and shade. The kind of gardening I enjoy these days is with my camera. There are many local, community and botanical gardens nearby and I enjoy visiting them often. The photos below were all shot at the Pinelands Preservation Alliance where I am a member. There were many specimen’s springing up in the garden and signs of more to come. Volunteers of the ‘Master Gardeners’ program were at work on the beds of native and perrenial plants while I was there. I am grateful to those who spend their time tending to the gardens I so enjoy with my camera.

D Bush_Mustard Close-up — 'Mustard Close-up' © Denise Bush

D Bush_Bleeding Hearts — 'Bleeding Hearts' © Denise Bush

D Bush_Fiddlehead Ferns — 'Fiddlehead Ferns' © Denise Bush

D Bush_Crab Apple Blossom — 'Crab Apple Blossom' © Denise Bush

D Bush_Common Frog — 'Common Frog' © Denise Bush

The Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia has been calling me back since my first visit this past December. On Monday I met up with a couple of my camera club friends and we made a fun afternoon of it. You may not think of a cemetery as being a ‘fun’ place to visit but when you are a photographer presented with the many interesting subjects Laurel Hill has to offer you can’t help but have fun. The sense that you are in the company of so many who no longer walk this earth adds a feeling of reverence and thrill to the experience. Dating back into the 1700’s the tombstones and monuments reveal little stories and prompt speculation about those who are buried here. One grave is marked by a statue of a mother holding infant twins. The inscription tells that a mother is buried here with her children. ‘She must have died in childbirth along with the infants’, I thought. Cherubs, guardian angels and religious symbolism abound, all becoming more interesting with the worn and weathered look of time. Here are just a few of the images I captured on this trip.