My Top Summer Goal
Goals are good right? Truth…I don’t really do the whole goal setting thing or the Whole new Year’s resolution thing at the start of the year. But this is different. This goal isn’t about sacrificing something like carbs to lose weight or something horrible like that. It’s not about doing something that’s generally unpleasant or not fun but leads to a greater good. No, this goal is very very different…it’s only about good things.
Before we get to the goal you need some perspective. Last year on my dad’s birthday, June 16, I skipped my usual trip to the cemetery on that sunny morning and went to a rose garden instead. I wrote an Instagram post about it that will help clarify my thoughts on that day…and don’t worry, it’s not all sad, it’s actually a really good thing.
Today is my dad’s birthday, he passed when I was three years old from pancreatic cancer caused by Agent Orange poisoning from his service in Vietnam. When I woke up this morning I was going to make the hour plus drive to the cemetery, alone, to visit him. But as I drank my coffee and looked at the beautiful sunny day outside I realized I could sit alone in that cemetery and talk to him and tell him how much I missed him but if he could talk to me he’d probably tell me do something I enjoy to honor him instead.
So that’s what I did. I woke up my favorite partner in crime (my daughter) and told her we were going on an adventure and to get dressed. We drove to a rose garden I’d been wanting to visit for awhile; we talked and laughed like we do on long drives. And the roses didn’t disappoint..there were tons of varieties and colors. I took a billion photos for reference for future paintings. A lot of them were just passed their prime and that gave me inspiration for a new collection that seems really poignant for me right now. I lived because he can’t. I laughed because he can’t. I felt the sun shine on my face because he can’t. I literally smelled the roses because he can’t.
Essex County Rose Garden at Brookdale Park, Montclair, NJ
Willowwodd Arboretum, Chester Township, NJ
Essex County Rose Garden at Brookdale Park, Montclair, NJ
So as summer gets going I’ve decided to set a personal goal to visit at least ten rose/flower gardens. It’s important for my work but it’s also important for my mental health…getting outside in the sun is at the top of the list of things that lift my mood. And just thinking about the amount of reference photos I can take out ten gardens is something that makes my heart beat a bit faster.
Where am I going? Well, I have some spots that have been on my bucket list for a long time and I’m currently researching a few more. But I’ve made a tentative list below; some may change but we’ll see. I’ll update the list below if I make any significant changes.
The first visit will be to a peony garden as it’s peony season and it doesn’t last forever! I know they are some of the most popular flowers so get ready for a some serious eye candy.
The Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden, Somerset, NJ
Willowwodd Arboretum, Chester Township, NJ
Essex County Rose Garden at Brookdale Park, Montclair, NJ
Peony’s Envy, Bernardsville, NJ
Essex County Rose Garden at Brookdale Park, Upper Montclair, NJ
The Rose Garden at Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Brooklyn, NY
The Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden, Somerset, NJ
Allentown Rose Garden, Allentown, PA
Van Vleck House and Gardens, Montclair, NJ
The Rose Garden at New York Botanical Gardens, The Bronx, NY
Willowwood Arboretum, Chester Township, NJ
Deep Cut Garden, Middletown, NJ
Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Summit, NJ
Cheers!
Catherine