Linda Fardi with Mike and Machele Estrada. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

Early on a sunny Saturday, dozens of visitors waited in line for the 8:30 a.m. opening of McKee Botanical Garden’s 19th annual Waterlily Celebration.

Most of the eager bunch were armed with cameras, or easels, paint and canvas, and had arisen early in order to catch a few final glimpses of the elusive night-blooming waterlilies, which open at dusk and tuck in their stunning petals as the sun rises.

This popular event always attracts locals and visitors from across the state, luring in plein air artists, photographers, horticultural enthusiasts, and families with children.

On this particular morning, most of the early visitors headed first for the perfect place to view the sought-after, night-blooming beauties – the iconic stone bridge that arches gracefully across the main pond. The pond is just one of McKee’s five ponds and magical waterways.

Watching a couple of young children eagerly pulling their dad toward the little bridge, longtime resident Helen Wise smiled and shared that she had seen her first alligator on that very bridge. Of course, that was back in the early days, when it was then known as McKee Jungle Garden, and when its residents included not just one or two gators, but also a family of monkeys.

Setting up his camera at the edge of the pond, Rich Carter, a former Bostonian and first-time visitor to McKee, gazed at the brilliant lilies as they showed off aboard their flat green pads while bobbing on the sparkling water.

“I’m just here having fun,” he said. “It’s beautiful. So beautiful.”

Carefully positioning himself for the optimal view, area artist Jerry Smietanka had set up easel, palette, paints and brushes in the grass at the water’s edge. He commented that in the years he’s painted at McKee, there are always new and exciting subjects within its ever-changing tropical embrace.

Hip deep in another pond, as a group of lily fans watched and listened intently from beneath a canopy tent on the bank, Nikki Wojtowicz gently pulled a lily from the water and hoisted it up, soggy root/legs dangling, as she demonstrated the proper way to “replant” a waterlily, while sharing other fascinating waterlily facts.

A popular celebration highlight is always the Waterlily Photo Contest, where entries were on display in the historic Hall of Giants.

In this year’s competition, the Best in Show photo was chosen by New York-based photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo, an author of several books whose photographic works have appeared in such publications as Vogue, Architectural Digest, Cabana and House & Garden UK.

The Best in Show and First Place Black/White winner was Tina Baxter for “Lotus Love,” a stunning shot that captured the curves and shadows of each delicate petal, against a dramatic black background.

Other top winners were People’s Choice: “Egyptian Bloom,” John Sinclair; First Place Color, “My Happy Place,” Les Greenwood; First Place, Manipulated, “Floral Love,” Tina Baxter; First Place Youth, “Lily Among the Pads,” Sha’Nilah Elder.

Plant and craft vendors displayed their wares in the Spanish Kitchen and Garden Café patios, and as they left, many visitors headed to the parking lots gently cradling lovely new residents for their own gardens.

Photos by Joshua Kodis