Every year I try and make it to the trial gardens. I usually end up going sometime in August because that's when the flowers are at their peak. This year we hit them maybe just a smidge too late, but there were still lots of gorgeous flowers in full bloom. Next year I need to go closer to mid-August to try and get more flowers at their peak.

We got to the gardens around 5:30, which was about an hour until the sun was so low that the entire gardens were in shadow. Because of the trees on the West side of the garden, you can't really get perfect golden hour lighting, but I think we got the best that we could get. In addition to the location of the sun in the sky, the West is a little bit hazy from the fires (in the Western states) which diffused the sun for us. So even when we had direct sunlight, it was never too bright and we never got harsh shadows. We really couldn't have asked for better lighting.

Of course I reflected on previous years after I got back from the photoshoot, but I realized last year we went right after the gardens were watered. Looking at last year's photos were completely different with the water. I guess I'll try and remember that for next year (or maybe I'll be smart enough to look at my blog before I go take photos at the gardens) so I can bring a squirt bottle with some water in it so I can produce my own unique flower photos.