Field Trip: Brookside Gardens

Brookside Gardens is part of the Wheaton Regional Park and is operated by Montgomery Parks. This award-winning 50-acre public display garden has a wide array of subjects to satisfy the landscape and garden photographer. The location boasts excellent water features such as a small pond with reflection terrace and a Japanese tea house, a brook connecting the pond to Pine Lake (further south), and an aquatic garden. May and early June are especially colorful months for Maryland and Virginia so we can expect many of the various gardens maintained by the park to be in full bloom.

Admission to the gardens is free and no permits are required for non-commercial photographers. Brookside Gardens asks that photographers not disturb the gardens, block paths, or interfere with other visitors’ enjoyment of the gardens.  (Brookside Gardens Photo Policy)

What:

This outdoor venue will give us a very colorful way of keeping our social distancing up while we ride out the COVID variants. We’ll meet at the visitor’s center where we can say hello and get caught up. Groups can break off to start capturing wider landscape shots found by walking south of the visitor’s center (follow trails leading to your right). Or if you’re more inclined to start working the garden vignettes, follow the trails east of the visitor’s center (generally trails that lead to the left). Either way, you can’t lose.

Unfortunately, the conservatory building is closed. That means there will be no access to the greenhouse or the Wings of Fancy butterfly exhibit. When they reopen, it is recommended you return and pay the small fee to enter.

Sunrise is expected at 5:56 a.m (EDT)

Equipment:

• Any lens between 18-200mm should satisfy most needs. A macro lens is also recommended.
• Tripods are allowed provided they don’t destroy the gardens or get in the way of other visitors.
• Handheld toys such as lights, crystal balls, reflectors, and diffusers are welcome (keep a low profile to avoid any suspicions that we know what we’re doing).

When:

Saturday, May 15, 2021 from 7 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Rain date on Sunday, May 16, 2021 from 7 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

The visitor’s center opens at 10a.m.

Where:

1800 Glenallan Avenue
Wheaton, MD 20902

We will meet outside the visitor’s center (main parking lot) at 7a.m. for a brief meet and greet.

Plenty of free parking is available at the main entrance/visitor’s center. Additional parking is also available at the conservatory entrance on Glenallen Avenue.

We hope you can join us!

Tammy Tideswell and Steven Glintz
Field Trip Coordinators 2020-2021

 

* Photographs courtesy of Rena Schild.