I'm Thinking Arby's

The Arboretum is gorgeous, let's just put that out there. From the overall layout of the landscaping to the strategic placement of plants contrasting each other's shape and color, a lot of thought went into the aesthetics of the H.O. Botanical Garden.

One of the most interesting aspects of the garden was the sheer amount of plants and colors that seemed to remind me of other places and moods. I'm not typically the artsy-fartsy kind of person that sips wine while listening to Bach and viewing a piece by Van Gogh, but I definitely felt a strong connection with the plants. I am a nature-enthusiast as well, so I guess this connection shouldn't be that much of a shock, but I still found it interesting the heavy impression a simple tree or leaf can make on a person.

 For example, the hay featured above reminds me of all the time I spent as a kid bailing hay and hanging around the horses at a farm beside my house. It was more than just the memory of the action of riding my horse, instead, it was the feeling you get from it. After seeing this plant for one second, I was instantly feeling the same way I felt as a kid when I would throw on my cowboy boots and run down to hop on my geriatric white pony, Molly. The hay is a better reminder than a picture for some reason; it seems to take a different avenue to awaken the memory that it connects to.

As for this picture (on the left), it reminded me of the movie Gone With the Wind for some reason. I used to be forced to watch all four hours of it with my mom and my sister, and seeing a sight like this triggered that memory in my brain. Also, just viewing the open field and blue sky seems to be a very positive visual stimulant. The garden, itself, contains beauty, but the unconstrained nature of this view seems to be even more pleasing.

The Arboretum seems detailed from the macro to the micro level. From an aerial view, the stone structures, winding paths, and lush vegetation add small accents to the larger design. Also, when viewing individual plants, you see the intricacies and minute detail afforded by nature over years of evolution and development. The plant below stands out among the flowers, with its multi-tiered / multi-colored assortment of petals, but is lost in the grand scheme of the garden when you distance yourself from it. This draws an interesting parallel to students at Penn State; everyone is a unique person, but when viewing Penn State as a whole, only the large aspects standout. It also reminds me of Trix cereal, so there's that. 

But, getting back to the garden, itself, I would definitely bring my friends there when they come to visit me. It seems like one of the few places that doesn't reflect the 40,000+ student population here, which is nice when you need to hangout without people lighting cigarettes, talking on the phone, or almost hitting you with their bike.


Did anything remind you of completely unrelated memories / situations?

Did you enjoy your trip there?

Do you like Trix cereal?

Hit the comments!