The University of Kentucky and
Fayette County’s Arboretum is more than just a place with trees flowers and a
walking path. Instead it is a welcoming place full of life, color, enjoyment as
well as peace and serves as a retreat from every day stresses.
When walking up to the Arboretum,
you can’t help but feel welcome. You are greeted by flower beds filled with
brightly pink, white and yellow colored flowers and shrubs along with open
spaces. There are numerous trails
winding around the Arboretum which are lined with trees, flowers, informational
signs and wooden benches. There are metal
sculptures that stand high and a water fountain whose water trickles down into
a small pool filled with lily pads. There
are garden areas with filled with labeled spices and herbs, flowers and ferns. You can feel the sun warming your skin as it
finds its way between the leaves of the trees as well as the cool breeze. You can smell the freshly laid mulch as well
as the remnants of the scent of freshly cut grass that was cut a couple of days
ago. The combinations of these things
take you to a place that like none other found in a city.
The sounds of the Arboretum are
very calming and peaceful sounds. When
coming from a small town that is very quiet and much different from the
exciting city of Lexington, many need a place to get away from all of the
madness and find some peace. While
sitting on a bench mid-way through a trail, I found myself almost forgetting
where I was. The sounds of the birds
singing, crickets chirping, chatter of playful squirrels, occasional bark of a
walking dog and the rustle of the leaves make you forget that you are just a
little over a mile from the University’s campus.
There
are many cultures present at the Arboretum.
There are more than just the hunky ROTC guys or the fitness obsessed
girls running the scenic trails. There
are families spending time together while taking a walk and enjoying each other’s
company. There are also older and younger couples enjoying a nice walk together
while chit-chatting and holding hands.
Children run and giggle while they play a game of hop-scotch they
created with chalk. Dog owners bring
their four-legged friends out for a bit of exercise for the both of them while
enjoying the beautiful weather.
Individuals also find themselves sitting on a bench in the shade of a
tree either reading or just simply taking in the day and the beautiful scenery
of Kentucky’s native plants. While
walking, I was consistently greeted with smiles of those who I passed and there
was a feeling of happiness and enjoyment even from those who were struggling
during a run.
The
Arboretum inconspicuously serves as an area of Memorial. Many of the benches that line the blacktopped
trails have been bought and donated to the park in memory of an individual. That
makes the benches have more than one use.
Also, the Rose Garden located in
the central area is also a memorial.
Each rose bush has a name plate placed in front of it showing whose life
that plant is in memory of. Not only are
the benches and rose bushes memorials, but the large piece of art work also
serves as one as well. The designers of
the Arboretum evidently wanted to provide this feeling or those who come to
enjoy it. Most come to exercise, walk
their dog or bring the kids out to play but the memorials bring a more personal
feeling to the park-like area.
Not
only is the Arboretum a home to many of the State’s native plants, it also
serves as a welcoming place filled with benches to be sat on, trails to be
walked or run on, beautiful scenery to see, and a feeling of relaxation and
happiness that is contagious to those who are there sharing it with you. It is the oasis of Lexington and a place that
many individuals already take advantage of for numerous reasons.
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