The Botanical Gardens

I will be taking a blogging break.

I am feeling a little uninspired these days, understandably so.

I am thankful those I know and love are safe and healthy.

It is wonderful to visit the Riverbanks Botanical Gardens again.

We intend to stroll here every Sunday morning throughout the summer.

However I think there may  be another much needed shut down in our area. 

This is a happy place for Jim and I.

  

Oh the pretty pink!

 

 

The huge bamboo teepees should be covered in vines by the end of fall which will be a treat to see.

Seeing so much color along with the variety of flowers and plants is always a mood lifter. We seem to discover something new with each visit.

I hope you are hanging in there ok too. My escapism has been music, books and movies. Movie apps and the ease of downloading books are also things I am very thankful for these days.

Thank you for stopping by! ~Val

An Orchid Show

The Riverbanks Botanical Garden partnered with the South Carolina Orchid Society and Ikebana International Chapter 182 to create the marvelous
annual Orchids on the Riverbank show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of these amazing flowers. They never seize to amaze with their colors, shapes and sizes.

For locals, this annual event occurs 1 weekend in February at the Riverbanks Botanical Gardens.

Thank you for stopping by! ~Val

Waterfall Junction

Waterfall Junction is a fun place that is part of the Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens.

Here kids can learn about growing edibles in the garden.

They can learn how to identify animal tracks in the cement impressions on the walkways.

 

 

They can play in the sandboxes under awesome Terradactyl canopies.

Various areas are a splash park. Since we were here on a cool November day, this was not happening.

A pond shows aquatic wildlife.

There is a tadpole city in there.

There is an ongoing rabbit theme when you keep your eyes open.

There are tunnels and rabbit holes in the park.

There is a darling fairy garden.

I think the best part of all is the tree house section.

It starts out under the sun and leads into the woods.

This dragon topiary is quite a piece but the way the sun was hitting it, my photos did not come out great.

It looks like no one else was here by these photos but the place was alive with families. There is a large green space in the center with hula hoops, blocks and more that were being played with. 

This is an amazing place to take the kids for the day considering the gardens and the zoo are here too!

If you go, located on the Riverbanks Botanical Garden side.
1300 Botanical Pkwy
West Columbia, SC 29169
Open Daily

Thank you for stopping by! ~Val

A Bog Garden

My business gets crazy busy in August and September. This year is no different! 

Comments are turned off for now as I need to focus on the business. I will still continue to blog my memories during this time but I will be taking a break from beloved blog browsing.

Here I am sharing the bog garden at the Riverbanks Botanical garden.

It has become lush with great big green leaves during the steamy months here. 

Included are aquatic lotus flowers and water lilies.

The flowers are beautiful in all phases.

It is also a happy habitats for all sorts of insects.

The center of the massive leaves create puddles.

I hope you enjoyed this pretty garden as much as I have.

Thank you for stopping by! ~Val