Lotus

Lotus
Nelumbo 'Charles Thomas'
(nee-LUM-bo)

One of the highlights of a trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is seeing the Lily Pool Terrace. It is a couple of long rectangular pools with a smaller round one in the middle. The round pool has a big but slow fountain that drips down the sides. Both sides of the area are filled with various flower gardens with annuals, perennials and bulbs. The Café and the entrance to the Conservatory are there also.

It was nice not to have to be the guy hanging over the side of the water trying to focus on the flowers with a short lens. The 200mm was perfect for getting shots of the few Lotus and the large amount of water lilies blooming. Seeing the Koi swimming among the flowers was nice too.

Lotus flowers always seem special to me. I am not sure if it is the fact they are blooming out of murky water or it’s their shape and structure. The colors are usually muted although ‘Charles Thomas’ had a nice kind of cherry red shading to it. According to research on the subject the flowers bloom pink and then fade to light pink as it ages. ‘Charles Thomas’ was the first Lotus ever granted a patent in the Unite States and is named after the former president of Lilypons Water Gardens. It was introduced in 1984.