I visited the Allen Centennial Garden on the UW campus today, expecting to find lots of blossoms. While there were ample tulips and daffodils to shoot, I found the people to be more interesting.

Reclined beneath a magnolia just outside the garden gates, Nell looked perfectly content, even if it meant her laptop would be showered by blossoms whenever the wind blew. Inside the garden, next to the pond, a couple sat on the bench and chatted quietly,

Aiden, a future Business undergrad from California, was already sporting his Badger colors, as he and his parents, Carol and Danny, enjoyed the garden.

Ponnampalam, who earned his PhD from the School of Pharmacy “a few years ago” was happy to pose for a photo in the adirondack chair (with some encouragement from wife Candy). He was even happier to brag about his daughters, Olympia and Jaffna — both UW-Madison students.

Carly and Thi were hard at work filling sandbags that will give shape to an exhibit for the North Garden. Their winning design “is centered on providing a space where people can relax, restore and rejuvenate in the midst of their busy lives as a way to manage stress.”

Additional photos on Flickr.