A Well-Watered Garden

What comes to mind when you hear "a well-watered garden"?  Lush greens, vibrant colors of spring flowers?  Kind of the exact opposite of what we have been experiencing through the last few months of winter.

To be well-watered, your garden needs a reliable source of water.  A lake, river, or even a spring provides the moisture your garden needs to produce the lush greens and vibrant colors.  

This month's calendar shot is from Magnolia Plantation and Gardens outside Charleston, South Carolina.  From their website "Founded in 1676 by the Drayton family, Magnolia Plantation has survived the centuries and witnessed the history of our nation unfold before it from the American Revolution through the Civil War and beyond. It is the oldest public tourist site in the Lowcountry, and the oldest public gardens in America, opening its doors to visitors in 1870 to view the thousands of beautiful flowers and plants in its famous gardens."

My photo was taken April 12, 2014 while on a long weekend photo outing with the Eastman Camera Club,   I have hundreds of photos from Magnolia Plantation and Middleton Place just down the road.  The photo at the bottom of the March calendar page is from Middleton Place., as is the December photo.

Middleton Place

Middleton Place

We were there in April to enjoy and photograph the Azaleas in bloom.   The gardens come alive with brilliant oranges, reds, purples, and whites.   Both plantations are wonderful places to visit and photograph in April.

One suggestion if you go -- try to go on a weekday and get there as early as possible before the crowds descend.  If you can be there on a cloudy or rainy day it will be even better.  The clouds may keep some people away and a cloudy day is perfect for this kind of photography.

Magnolia Plantation

You can bet they are diligent in watering these gardens to keep the shrubs and trees as beautiful as possible.   What about you?  Are you feeling well-watered or is your soul a bit scorched?   As Isaiah said, The Lord can satisfy your needs and renew your soul like a well-watered garden.   Unlike man-made gardens, His spring of renewal never runs dry. All you have to do is ask.