Brookgreen Gardens

 I have been procrastinating on writing about Brookgreen Gardens because it's an immense place (4500 acres) with so many sculptures (1445), beautiful old trees, fountains, gorgeous plants, a native animal zoo. 

 But here goes, 

and if you get tired of the photos I'll understand!  

If you remember from this post, http://wisdomforasimplerlife.blogspot.com/2017/02/atalaya.html , Brookgreen was created by Anna and Archer Huntington to display her works and those of other American sculptors.  It first opened in 1932.

 

This giant sculpture of Anna's, two fighting horses, greets you at the gate.

 

She created this sculpture representing herself and Archer, called The Visionaries.

Many of the pools had floating glass balls that were so pretty, bobbing and reflecting light like giant bubbles.   You can see them in the water here.

 

What can I say? 

 I love owls so I had to show you this one!  We have them hooting over our house in the fall and spring and there is nothing like that sound.

 The grounds, the old oaks, surprise water features ...

 

How to make birds that look like they are in flight, suspended without support, out of metal ...

 

The Fountain of the Muses garden, in bronze by Carl Miller.  The canopy overhead is made of strings of lights.  It must be enchanting at night with the reflections.

 

The figures represent the fine arts -- poetry, architecture, music, and painting -- by what they hold in their hands and each is riding a dolphin.  

At the far back left is The Muse, the goddess Aganippe.

 

You can guess which one this represents.

 

And my favorite ...

 

Out of the trees emerges Don Quiote on his horse Rocinante, just after he loses his joust with the windmill, cast in aluminum by Anna Huntington.  

I love this story, I adore the music from the musical.

 And look who is coming behind him! Sancho Panzo by Carl Paul Jennewin.

 

 

There are benches so you can sit and view the piece from all sides.  We were alone and The Writer and I sat and began to sing softly, "I am I Don Quiote, the Lord of LaMancha. My destiny calls and I go.

And the wild winds of fortune

Will carry me onward,

Oh, withersoever they blow!"

and

" I'm Sancho, yes, I'm Sancho.

I'll follow my master till the end.

I'll tell the world proudly

I'm his squire, I'm his friend!"

******

The price of admission includes three consecutive days of visits.  We returned every day and still didn't see nearly all the park.