ENN at Garden D'Lights

By Stephanie Shea

Every year during the holidays, the staff and volunteers at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens work long and hard to put on a whimsical but awe inspiring light show. I have wanted to go for years but never seemed to be able find the time. Last year I went so far as to go out and buy tickets but, as often happens, real life got in the way of my plans and I never got to use them. This year I probably would have missed out again if some of the ENN members hadn’t encouraged anyone who was interested to meet up and enjoy this holiday treat together. As a newly minted member of ENN’s Pilot Program, I just couldn’t let the Garden D’Lights pass by me again.

All went well except, of course, the weather, but even that improved briefly as our group, armed to the teeth with umbrellas and rain gear met at the entrance to the gardens. The first thing that struck me is that I have never seen so many lights in one place before. As we began our trek, the twinkling mass began to resolve itself into dozens of individual sizes and shapes. We started down the path and came upon a flock of blue herons, went round a corner and down to a field or mushrooms, around another corner to see a gigantic ladybug and waterfalls cascading in the distance. It was a magical sight!

On a personal note, I was a little concerned about the mobility aspect of all this. It was rainy and dark and I was afraid it would be awkward to get around outside in a wheelchair. I needn’t have worried. The various able bodied members of our group cheerfully took turns playing chauffeur and I ended up feeling quite like a Queen. I thanked my “loyal subjects” and we ended with a warm up coffee and a chat in the tea room. The Garden D’Lights was truly a delight and I am glad I didn’t miss it again this year.

A very rainy night for Garden D'Lights!