In early August, my family and I visited my sister in St.
Louis, Missouri. As I always do when I
travel, in addition to the tourist spots, I visited gardens. St. Louis has many parks, and the residents
seem to enjoy planting gardens. I wasn’t
as envious of beautiful flowers not damaged by burning sun and drought this
year as I have been in previous trips to the Midwest, though; mine aren’t
scorched this year either.
Louis, Missouri. As I always do when I
travel, in addition to the tourist spots, I visited gardens. St. Louis has many parks, and the residents
seem to enjoy planting gardens. I wasn’t
as envious of beautiful flowers not damaged by burning sun and drought this
year as I have been in previous trips to the Midwest, though; mine aren’t
scorched this year either.
We visited the Missouri Botanical Garden, founded in 1859, a
79-acre refuge inside the St. Louis city limits. On the day we visited, the little legs that
walked with us had already visited the Gateway Arch, and they were tired, so I
saw about a third of the garden. That
third was larger than the garden that adjoins Riverbanks Zoo, in Columbia, but
perhaps after the Riverbanks garden has operated for over 150 years, it will be
as large and as elaborate.
79-acre refuge inside the St. Louis city limits. On the day we visited, the little legs that
walked with us had already visited the Gateway Arch, and they were tired, so I
saw about a third of the garden. That
third was larger than the garden that adjoins Riverbanks Zoo, in Columbia, but
perhaps after the Riverbanks garden has operated for over 150 years, it will be
as large and as elaborate.
I especially enjoyed the Ottoman garden, with its Asian
influences and formal design. The
Sensory Garden, with plants with scents and textures, was an adventure for my
children.
influences and formal design. The
Sensory Garden, with plants with scents and textures, was an adventure for my
children.
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| Rose Garden |
My sister visited the gardens in the spring, and said the
bulb gardens, with thousands of bulbs, were stunning. When we visited, the perennials that rested
beneath the tulip blossoms when she saw the garden were showing their
appreciation for the pampering the gardening staff provides. No deer enter the gardens to munch on the
flowers, and I saw no signs of Japanese beetles—perhaps they do not live that
far north.
bulb gardens, with thousands of bulbs, were stunning. When we visited, the perennials that rested
beneath the tulip blossoms when she saw the garden were showing their
appreciation for the pampering the gardening staff provides. No deer enter the gardens to munch on the
flowers, and I saw no signs of Japanese beetles—perhaps they do not live that
far north.
Beautiful ponds, decorated with oversized water lilies that
made perfect beds for frogs and fairies, punctuated the garden.
made perfect beds for frogs and fairies, punctuated the garden.
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I enjoyed the contrasting colors, especially
along the Spink Pavilion with the beds lined with ornamental peppers, plants
with bright colors, and even colored okra.
The okra was beautiful and edible, and I am going to grow some next
year.
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| Beautiful, and edible, okra! |