INNISFREE

William Butler Yeats's poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" was the inspiration for Innisfree Garden in New York state.  In 1994, Ann Raver described Innisfree this way: It is a garden with an Eastern soul: it was started in the 1930's by Mr. Beck, whose paintings reflect Asian design principles and was developed much further after his death in 1954, by the landscape architect Lester Collins, who was steeped in the gardens of China and Japan. Both men believed that gardens should follow the lay of the land and invite the visitor to experience the moment of a particular place.

In 2023, Margaret Roach described Innisfree this way: Navigating the sensory journey that is Innisfree opens our eyes to how powerful a force light can be.  Light, when carefully considered, is among the most compelling design tools, capable of creating dynamic contrasts. The light at Innisfree will move you through the garden — from bright, open spaces to narrower, darker ones — over and again. It will move you emotionally, too.

This collection is from an early morning visit in October 2023.