People go to gardens and other quiet places
to escape the noise of everyday life and enjoy the silence. But even
within the "silence" of a garden, many sounds can be heard.
If you listen carefully, you might hear the sounds of rustling leaves, the
chirping of birds and buzzing of bees.
Perhaps you'll catch the chatt
ering
of squirrels as they scurry along down paths. You might hear the
cracklings of small creatures as they hop on the dry leaves beneath bushes
and trees.
If the garden has a pond, you might hear
the rushing of water as it flows over rocks or falls into a stream. There
may be the sounds of fish as they break the water's surface with a light
splash. People may be talking and humming as they walk, or tapping their
feet on a wooden bridge or scuffling along on hardened paths.
The garden's staff and volunteers might be
busy at work, talking to each other, scraping their hoes in the ground and
clipping their clippers as they prune trees and plants. You might hear
their rakes scratching and poking through the gravel, and their saws
whining through trunks and branches.
This mixture of sounds can be described as
a symphony. The rhythm of the sounds may change from loud to soft and from
fast to slow. They can make you happy and glad to be alive. Sometimes,
depending on the kinds of sounds and your mood, they can be irritating.
The next time you are in a garden, pay
attention to the sounds. Take a pencil and some paper with you and write
down your thoughts. How would you describe what you hear? Draw a picture.
Give your garden "symphony" a name. Share your experience with a friend or
a family.
A good place to experience the sounds of
a garden and see approximately 5,000 species of plants is at the Mildred
E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA. call (310) 825-1260.
This Learning Link was provided by Carol Felixson from the Mildred E.
Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA in the heart of Westwood.
Copyright 2002 Los Angeles Times
