A view into the Asian Collections from the road. The GCA circle almost makes it into the left side of the picture and the orange flowering shrub is my favorite Azalea 'Dorsett'

There is an element of hyper 3-dimensionality that appears in woodland gardens just before the forest completely leafs out. It's possible to see places now that we won't be able to see in another week and there's definition there that didn't exist before buds swelled, flowers opened, or mouse-ear leaves appeared. Those adornments specific to each shrub and tree, are not only beautiful, but demarcate their size shape and position in a way that doesn't happen in the winter when views tend to be confusions of bare branches or in the summer when amorphous green anarchy reigns

There's a curious symmetry to the year; fall foliage colors and fruit mimic this effect to a lesser degree.The mass of foliage, beautiful though it may be, still limits our sight-lines, but there is definition that didn't exist in the summer.