Parks of Monmouth County - Deep Cut Gardens

Welcome to the initial installment of a new series - Parks of Monmouth County. I will publish a new park on the 1^st day of each month; the posts will spotlight the beauty of the parks and share some of my favorite trails or attractions at each. I am writing this on a rainy April afternoon and the rhyme "April showers bring May flowers" popped into my head. I thought, since this is going to be published in May then maybe it should be about flowers. In my mind there is no better park for flowers than Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown, New Jersey.

For a full list of the series, with links, check out the "Parks of Monmouth County" page.

Tulips at Deep Cut Gardens

I made my first trip to the park in 2012 and have been back a number of times since. The tulip bed shown here is one of the first images I made there and I didn't even have to leave the parking lot! This was taken in April 2012 and all of the tulips were in full bloom - this is the main tulip bed but they can also be found in other areas of the park and the median strip in the parking lot. It doesn't matter when you go to the park because this flower bed always has something to see, depending on what is in season. Below is a similar image of the same flower bed but taken in August 2014.

Daisies at Deep Cut Gardens

If you walk past this bed and around the corner you will find the Koi Pond where you can sit on a bench, admiring the fish and flowers planted around the walkway. Continue past the pond to the Visitor Center; stop in and say hello to the staff - they are very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. They can help you identify something you saw in the park (although everything is usually well labeled) or fill you in on any interesting "visitors" there may have been - deer or hawks, for instance.

 

When you leave the Visitor Center continue your journey to the Rose Parterre - you will be glad you did. The panorama at the top of the page shows the entire parterre; it is even more beautiful in-person. When the roses are in bloom it is so colorful and fragrant you may never want to leave. Take a leisurely stroll through the garden, taking in the beauty. Each plant is identified so that you know exactly what you are looking at. I guarantee you will see a variety of rose that you never knew existed. There are benches on either side or you can go sit in the shade of the gazebo before continuing. Don't make the mistake that flowers are the only things to see; this tree is just a few short yards from the parking lot, just before the koi pond. It is just one of many throughout the park. You will find these trees along either side of the walk/stairs leading from the Visitor Center to the Rose Parterre. Park benches can be found under the trees, many of which have a small pond next to them. These benches make wonderful resting spots - you are out of the sun and can see a world of beauty spread out below you.

While walking make sure to keep an eye out for the fauna that take up residence in the park. My wife and I found this little guy while walking along one of the wooded paths. You will also find chipmunks, squirrels and deer to name but a few. Look up to the sky and you are bound to see a red-tailed hawk circling overhead, I don’t think I have been to the park yet where I haven’t seen at least one. Birders would do well to bring their binoculars, too.

I think this is a good place to end the words and leave you with a few more images from my trips. I hope you will put Deep Cut Gardens on your “to-do” list and visit at least once.

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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Nature is the art of God eternal. – Dante

I am always on the lookout for something to inspire me - whether it inspire my writing, my photography, or something else. I will often see a quote somewhere and stash it away for safe keeping, just in case. This post is inspired by Dante; yes, the guy who wrote the Divine Comedy.

The beautiful rose shown above was shot at Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown, New Jersey. The name of the rose escapes me, if anyone recognizes it please let me know in the comments section. I was drawn to it by the mix of colors the the lone blossom. You can see there are two buds about to open. Deep Cut Gardens is an incredibly beautiful place to visit and photograph. If you are in the area you owe it to yourself to stop and walk around - there is something to see year-round.

This is a section of the Patriot's Path at Black River Wildlife Management Area in Chester, New Jersey. I spent a lot of time in this part of North Jersey when I was growing up but it was only a few years ago that I discovered this beautiful trail. The river is just beyond the trees to the left. I was there on a beautiful October afternoon a few years ago and ended up walking 3.5 miles along this trail before turning around and walking back to the car. There are several trails that break off to the right and I took one of them to the top of the hill.

Lastly I present a purple iris. There is a small park close to my office called Lake Topanemus Park. I go there often to take walks and shoot during my lunch breaks - I have written about this park before in Birds of New Jersey: The Gray Catbird and you will be reading more about it in the coming months. There are a variety of flowers growing in a small flower garden along the lake, these iris' are just a few.

And so ends my homage to Dante and the beauty of nature.

For more information about the places mentioned here, check out their websites:

• Deep Cut Gardens website and Facebook page
• Black River Wildlife Management Area

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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Clouds come floating into my life

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky." - Rabindranath Tagore

I came across this quote a while ago and added it to my list of inspirational quotes. Surprisingly, I probably shoot more sunrises than sunsets and I was taking the quote literally. I decided to change the post to one loosely influenced by the quote, in other words - images with dramatic cloud cover. You may remember in my earlier post, What is a "beautiful" day?, that I love clouds in my landscapes.

This is one of my favorites, taken on the beach at Ocean Grove. I had just gotten on the beach and was walking north when this image presented itself to me. I didn't realize until I got home but the star of the show is the cloud formation in the middle. It resembles a figure from my childhood, do you recognize it? This was actually taken with my smartphone. I often will take a couple shots with my phone when I arrive somewhere and post to social media before I get down to serious shooting. This was one of those times.

The black & white image above was shot at Manasquan Reservoir during one of my "gotta clear my head" hikes after work. I had gotten some bad news about a friend and needed time alone. I normally go to a special place at Allaire State Park but it was closed for some reason and I ended up at the reservoir. I was disappointed at first but it all turned out for the best. I think you would agree - without the clouds this image is not nearly as good. They add so much drama and I thought it was a great candidate for black & white.

This is the same as the black & white image above except it is cropped as a panorama and I included more foreground than sky. I like them both and don't really have a favorite - what do you think?

This is actually a sunset - I had to get at least one that was "on topic". This is a quick scan of a KodaChrome 64 slide that I shot in the early 80's. I grew up with this inlet in my backyard and I witnessed countless sunsets while sitting on the dock or in the gazebo. It was a magical time of the day. Just beyond the trees in the distance was Fort Monmouth (it has long been decommissioned) and on quiet late afternoons you could hear taps being played at the fort. I have been slowly scanning slides and negatives that I shot over the years and hope to write about the area more in the future. This image was taken with either a red or orange Cokin filter over the lens.

Here are a couple sunrises shot in Ocean Grove. This is my favorite place to catch a sunrise, especially when the Fishing Pier was still there. Sadly, Superstorm Sandy destroyed the pier in November 2012. It was partially rebuilt but stops short of where the building was located. I haven't heard if there are plans to rebuild the rest of the pier. Clouds bring so much to an image and I have all but stopped shooting landscapes on cloudless days.

So, what do you think? Do clouds bring color and excitement to a landscape? Do you have some great cloud shots? I would love to see them - leave a comment along with your image.

BTW - the cloud formation reminds me of Wile E. Coyote. Do you see it?

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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