Sankeien Garden-Yokohama "Lotus Bloom"

Yesterday I joined two other ladies from base and headed out to the Yokohama Sankeien Garden.

The Lotus flower is in bloom, but only blooms early morning. 

We left at 6:15am and it was still HOT....two trains and a bus later and we arrived!!!!

The Lotus flower represents a lot in Buddhism and originated in Asia.

"A lotus begins in deep mud and each stem must grow through dirty, murky water. But the blossom rises above all this muck and opens in the sun to be beautiful and fragrant. This is the true nature of humans, who can rise through adversity into the beauty and clarity of enlightenment."

 Stages of bloom for one day only: 

LEFT: Post-Bloom and the seed pod is charging to drop seeds into the water

CENTER: Pre-bloom

RIGHT: Mid-bloom

 Fully bloomed

 Pagoda across the pond

 The yellow center pod turns green after the leaves all fall to generate new seeds

 Clever Japanese-- they created a cool off station for kids (and anyone roasting in the HOT HOT weather like we were) They trimmed the Lotus leaf stem and around the leaf edge; plugged a hose into the stem (which is very porous) and voila! Instant outdoor shower!

 Followed this dragonfly around for a while.....and he finally posed

 LOVE how the light shows the veining on the Lotus leaves

 BUZZZ!!!

 AND.......a petal fell and was caught by the leaves below

 Pond in the center of the garden with a boat

 Japenese crane of some variety

 Turtles were doing what I wish we could have done.....we were MELTING and it was only 10am

 Japanese Wisteria still remaining from the early summer bloom

 These Koi and Carp at the waters edge were in a frenzy

 Turtles began to emerge

 Came in for their close ups

 For 50 Yen (less than $0.50) you can buy a string of bread to toss to the fish