Looking for a meditative moment? Below, check out some of our favorite footage of summer at the Garden, featuring bright blooms swaying in the breeze, lush vistas, and unique perspectives of the green world around us.

If you’re looking for the firsthand experience, come visit and catch these moments yourself before summer turns fall. Senior Director of Horticulture Tim Johnson shared some of his favorite Garden spots to see in August:

The Crescent

Tim: The summer annual display will be hitting its peak with a riot of colors and textures creating plant combinations you are not going to see anywhere else. The creativity of Liz Rex, who designs the displays, never ceases to amaze me.

Circle Garden

The summer annual display will also be hitting its peak in this garden, with intricately detailed installations that are impeccably maintained. For the best experience, take a slow walk through this garden and pause to observe how the plants play off each other.

English Walled Garden

I always enjoy walking through this garden to take in the interesting plant combinations and large amounts of color infused throughout. Heather Sherwood, who maintains this garden, has a fine touch in weaving in unusual plants and maximizing color in the English gardening style. It's a very detailed garden, organized into six different rooms with lots to see in each one.

Japanese Garden

Go to the Japanese Garden to appreciate plant forms and enjoy a relaxing walk through a beautiful landscape. Ayse Pogue and her team do an incredible job of training the pines and mounding the shrubs; their attention to detail makes this garden amazing.

Model Railroad Garden

Visit this garden early in the month before kids are back in school. One of my favorite things to do is to watch children as they respond to the trains—you can't help but smile, no matter how bad of a day you may be having. The integration of plants with the miniature buildings is also interesting to see.

Sensory Garden

Walking through this garden gives you two different experiences, from the woodland experience on the west side to the themed annual beds on the east side.  The color-themed and fragrance-themed beds are my favorites. There is also a great view out to the lake from the top area of the garden, with a quiet spot to sit and read a book or just take in the peace and quiet.