Penn State's New Bird and Pollinator Garden

The new Penn State fall semester starts on Monday, August 23. So this weekend and all through next week, students will be moving into town. Move-in week is a very chaotic time in town and on campus, and it is best to stay away from both if you don't really have to go there during such a busy time.

I decided I needed one last Arboretum visit before the semester start. It was going to be a very hot day so we left the house early. My husband dropped me off, and he would return in about an hour to get me at the Creamery, across the street: in the end, I left with a box of peanut butter cup ice cream for him, and a box of August pie for myself (actually GETTING the August pie has been sort of a two-year quest for me, but I'll tell that story on another day).

So for one hour, T. Tiger and I had free run of the gardens, and of course, we got another look at the brand new bird and pollinator garden that just opened at the end of June. You may see a photo of part of it above and a story about it here. There is a reflecting pool in the foreground and a bee structure (with a live honey bee hive inside) to the right. To the right of the bee structure are two dead Table mountain pine trees installed for the birds. Back in behind, you can glimpse just a bit of the bird blind.

At the children's garden, Childhood's Gate, T. Tiger met a friendly group of dinosaurs and chatted with them. At the lily pond, we met a large dragonfly, who perched atop one of the plants and had a great view out over a sorbet-colored water lily. You may see that photo in the extras.

T. Tiger and I finished our visit to the gardens and walked over and got the ice cream, my husband picked us up, we nabbed some burgers for a quick lunch, and we were home well before noon, before it got even hotter out. So I'd count it all as a success!

This garden is not a secret one, but this tune will be my song anyway: Bruce Springsteen, with Secret Garden.