Friday, December 24, 2021

Merry Christmas!

The San Antonio Botanical Gardens (SABOT) hosted a new Lightscape holiday light show  which originated in the UK and is now presented at botanical and public gardens in North America.  It was well done, and so my photos and videos are presented for your enjoyment.

Stars of patterned light greeting visitors on the entrance walkway sets a festive mood.

















































A beautifully lighted Live Oak near the entrance is a traditional holiday sight in San Antonio.





















The gardens at SABOT have been decorated for the season in past years but have not been open for night tours until this year.  I am so familiar with the gardens that it was fun to see how different they appear at night.  The culinary garden just inside the entrance is typically not so colorful and I loved the feeling. 

























Attention to detail is fascinating with stars showing the way in transitioning between areas along the one mile trail.
















SABOT's iconic conservatories are even more striking in colorful lights.







Through a lighted arbor

Colorful plants spotlighted under a full moon have me taking notes for our future holiday displays.




Techy modern light patterns lead into the conservatory courtyard.


Fire gardens are a specialty of Lightscape and it was a wonderful experience.  The courtyard features a large pond surrounded by walkways and glass conservatories so it's the perfect spot for fire in the garden.





All the displays feature music and this was so beautiful with Silent Night playing quietly in the background.  


And the view from above.

More lighted plants featured throughout the show.













Cacti getting the dancing light treatment.


I must not have noticed this gazebo before since I don't remember seeing it previously.  










Lights sweeping the lake to the sounds of "Christmas Time is Here."



And a San Antonio crowd favorite features thousands of  twinkling Bluebonnets in front of the Auld House log cabin.

George Strait appropriately singing "It's Christmas Time in Texas."  "There many not be snow in San Antonio...."




Nice touch with white tops detailed just like real ones.



Bluebonnets reflected in the cabin windows.





Back to modern with lines of light dancing across a huge hillside and highest point near downtown.




We stood for quite a while watching lights dance across the hill.  Very well done and, like most of the displays, best viewed as a video with audio.


#LIGHTSCAPE for social media posts.


Musical fountains as well


Stars again leading to the grand finale. 



The majestic Winter Cathedral is a signature piece for all Lightscape shows.




These stars were intriguing in that they maintained their shape and detail across the plantings.








Back out past the live oak and more traditional trees near the gift shop.


We were gifted "Family and Friends" tickets by Marjesca Brown (@woodswanderinggirl) and Michael Eason (@texas_flora) as thanks for our support of her efforts to save one of the last bits of natural area in a city park.  Michael curates the rare plant collection at SABOT.  Thank you both so much and we enjoyed every minute!

#Lightscape runs through January 2nd and will return to SABOT for the next four years.

3 comments:

  1. I love the oak and the stars. Best wishes for a merry Christmas Shirley!

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  2. Beautiful light shows; thanks for sharing! Our local Olbrich Botanical Garden has light shows this time of year, too. Fun stuff!

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  3. Very nice to see the garden at night. We do that here in Green Bay, in Milwaukee, and Madison. Probably other places in the state too, but I have only experience those three. Like yours, very different than in the daylight. Nice. Thanks for sharing.

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