In West Stockbridge, MA, the Berkshire Botanical Garden—a short distance from the Norman Rockwell Museum, Chesterwood, and other attractions—beckons. The entry garden is one of the most glorious mixed borders anywhere (and where I first saw and fell in love with Verbena bonariensis, a see-through plant that reseeds itself to tie a border together year after year). Just the right size to see in an hour or two, the BBG offers stunning views around every bend. I love all the gardens within the Garden, especially the edible gardens on the parking lot side of the road. And the featured container display right now, with fiery tropicals, is to die for.
The photographs I took there last week looked a lot like paintings… the vistas so artfully composed by the Garden’s designers glowed Monet-like in the late summer, afternoon light. So I decided to push the feeling a little farther with Adobe Photoshop’s “Palette Knife” filter, changing the stroke size, detail and softness for each shot.
