The Art of Monet

The art museum currently has a temporary exhibit featuring the work of Claude Monet. It’s been a very popular event, selling out nearly every day. I bought tickets a few months ago so Marina and I could check it out.

We arrived at the Museum a bit early, so we checked out the Treasures of British Art exhibit. Marina especially like the portraits of royalty.

When it was our turn to go into the exhibit, we were excited. It was very crowded, but we managed to weave our way around the people to see all the paintings on display. Marina was very interested in them. We looked at the colors used and painting techniques. Overall we were very impressed by what we saw.

After we finished going through, we checked out the activity center called “Paint.” Marina tried out a few of the crafts including painting with shaving cream. By the time she finished her art, we were both tired and ready to have dinner.

Ghosts in the Gardens

Marina and I sometimes watch the TV show Ghost Hunters together. So we were both excited to go on one of the Ghosts in the Gardens tours at the botanic gardens this evening. I’ve known for a while that the land used to be a cemetery, which is creepy enough. But both of us were interested in learning more.

When we arrived, we sat in an auditorium and watched a brief movie about the history of the land and how human remains are often found there. We also saw some footage a local ghost hunter had found. Then the group split into four.

We started over by the greenhouses. our guide told us some of the stories of ghosts that people have reported, including one called The Watchman. We even got to go into the employee area behind the greenhouses. There has been quite a lot of reported activity in Greenhouse #4.

We went to the Victorian Secret Garden where we heard about a couple who sit on the bench and strolls through the park. In the back area we were told about one called The Shadow Man who was not at all friendly.

Throughout the tour we heard stories of strange sighting and sounds. In the Lilac Garden there have been reports of a girl in a white dress. After hearing that, Marina swore she’d seen her on one of our visits there.

On the tour we were able to go into a 1920’s mansion that the botanic gardens uses for offices. It was a gorgeous house. We heard about the previous residents who might still be there, including a little boy named Jack. We also checked out a haunted mirror.

After the House, our tour arrived at the main entrance. Marina and I both enjoyed the tour. We agreed we’ll never look at the gardens the same way again!

Spring at the Garden

It’s felt like a long winter and Marina and I are definitely ready for spring. Today the weather was beautiful, so we decided to check out the spring flowers at the botanic gardens. I made us a big brunch before we left the house.

When we arrived at the botanic gardens we discovered that lots of people had the same idea. It took a while to find a place to park and we had to walk a few blocks to get to the entrance.

Once inside we bought drinks and then we started walking around. There is a current exhibit of sculptures of the human form throughout the gardens which we looked at as well. We were amazed at how many different varieties of tulips we saw. The irises were also blooming and we saw a few daffodils were still around.

We were most excited to see the Lilac Garden. The lilacs weren’t in full bloom, but there were enough that we could smell them. We wandered through a few other parts of the garden before walking back to the car. We’d had a very busy weekend and wanted to relax a bit.

Dia De Los Muertos Celebration

We’ve been going to the botanic gardens Day of the Dead Celebration for the past few years. Last year Miss Judy came with us and enjoyed it. So we invited her again this year. She, in turn, invited Bethany and Jeremy to join us. It was going to be particularly emotional this year as we would be remembering a family who was killed earlier this year.

The weather was cool and rainy this morning but we decided to go anyway. It seemed to take a long time for everyone to be ready to go, but we were fortunate that right as we arrived we found someone who was leaving the parking garage, so we got a good parking spot.


When we arrived we found the crafts under a large tent. Marina wanted to decorate a sugar skull, so we wall watched her as she made hers. Judy, Bethany and Jeremy went to watch the Aztec dancers while Marina created a flower wreath and she made paper marigolds which she gave to Judy and Bethany.

We all went for warm drinks and once we had them the Lucha Libre wrestling had begun. So we watched that for a while. Our next stop was the community alter. Judy and Bethany got emotional as they added a family members’s name to the display. I helped Marina with a card with her great grandparents’ names on it.

We went into the Japanese garden where Marina showed everyone the koi pond. Then we wandered around the perimeter of the garden. By then Bethany and Judy were tired, so we decided to leave. On the way home, we stopped to have tacos for lunch.

Sunday at the Gardens

The botanic gardens have a corpse flower named Stinky that is expected to bloom in the next week. The last time that happened, the wait to smell it was hour along. They are expecting it to bloom again in a about a week. I have no desire to wait in a line like that, but I was interested in seeing it. So we decided to go to the gardens today.

Our first stop was the orangery where Stinky was front and center. It is huge! After we took a look, we went strolling through the rest of the gardens. One of Marina’s favorites is the Japanese garden. She likes looking at the bonsai trees and koi fish.

Nearby was a pond that was full of blooming lily pads. It was very pretty! We also walked through a garden that was full of edible plants. We saw some cabbage like plants that Marina and I thought looked like Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors.

We went through the American gardens where Marina walked up a small hill by a waterfall and told me it was her favorite place there. The rose garden was absolutely spectacular with roses of every color blooming. I couldn’t remember a time when I have seen the botanic gardens looking so beautiful. Not only did we see flowers of every kind blooming, we also found berries growing in many places.

It was a hot day, so we decided to walk by Stinky one more time and go home. We walked through the tropical greenhouse on our way. That is always fun to see.

Pixelated

Today was Marina’s first day of summer vacation. I decided to take the day off and we went to the Botanic Gardens. We both slept in and left in the late morning. The weather was very warm today and the Gardens were popular. We were very happy to get a parking spot in the garage and out of the sun!

Once we got inside the gardens, Marina was ready for lunch. So we stopped at the café and ate sandwiches before looking around. They have a collection of sculptures called “Pixelated” on display this summer and Marina was particularly interested in seeing those, so she used the map to make sure we saw them all.

We headed toward the lilac garden in hopes that they were still in bloom. A few of the flowers remained, but not as many as we have seen in the past. We also took some paths around we haven’t used as often. We saw columbines and irises in many different colors all over.

Marina really enjoyed the Pixelated sculptures – she was especially excited about the “Cat Head” one. After we went through the garden we went to the children’s garden. After seeing the sailboat sculpture Marina spent a bit of time playing in the wading stream before we decided to go home.

Dia de los Muertos

We attended the Day of the Dead Festival at the Botanic Gardens last year. We had a great time and one of our friends said she would like to join us the next time we went. So we invited her to join us today. Fortunately, she was able to come.

Marina wanted to dress up, so I had her try on a black lace dress of mine. It fit her pretty well. We added a flower wreath from the Renaissance Festival. She looked great!

We picked up our friend, then drove to the Botanic Gardens. Not only was today the Day of the Dead Festival, it was also a free day. So we were concerned about finding parking. Fortunately, we found a great spot right away, so we were quickly into the gardens.

We started by getting Marina’s face painted. The line was slow but the face painter Marina got was amazing. She created a design to go with the flower wreath she was wearing. She looked beautiful and received compliments all day.

We checked out a few of the crafts. Marina made her own picture for an ink press and designed a frame. She also decorated a clay “sugar skull.” After the crafts we watched a few bouts of Lucha Libre wrestling. Marina even got her picture taken with one of the wrestlers.

We went into the gardens which were fabulously decorated. There were banners everywhere and statues put up for the Day of the Dead celebration. We got a chance to look at displays set up by families to honor their loved ones who had passed away. Near the Japanese Garden was a greenhouse with colorful sticks that we could write loved ones’ names on. Marina wrote one for Melanie our cat and put it in a display for pets.

We decided to stop for lunch. Marina got a salad with grapes and goat cheese. She also tried my chicken mole panini which she also liked. While we were eating, she talked with two ladies who were sharing our table. They talked about cats, anime and Comic Con. She clearly had made some new friends!

After lunch we went into the greenhouse to see the tropical plants. Our friend knew a lot about those plants and she talked about them with Marina. After we looked at the greenhouse, we looked around at the gift shop for a while. By then, the gardens were getting very crowded, so we decided to go home.

May Flowers

Marina had the day off from school today, so we decided to spend the afternoon at the botanic gardens. We always like to see the Lilac Garden while it is in bloom. When Ainsley heard about our plans she asked if she could join us. Fortunately, we were able to make that happen.

Once we arrived at the botanic gardensAinsley quickly braided Marina’s hair. Then we picked up some drinks before starting our journey.

The girls seemed to be easily excited by every flower they saw. They stooped down to look at the ones close to the ground and pointed out the further ones from the path. As a result, we proceeded very slowly through the garden.

Ainsley wanted to see the Japanese garden, so we made our way there. The girls spent quite a while looking at the koi in the pond there. It was a beautiful day and we were all getting hot but we still decided to check out the tropical garden in the greenhouse.

Before we left, we stopped at the children’s garden where Marina and Ainsley waded in the stream for a while. Once they cooled off, we went back to the car for the ride home. Ainsley came over to our house for a while. We all had pizza for dinner and Marina showed her some games on her computer before she went home.

Painting the Enchanted Rose

After lunch, Marina changed into her Belle dress. I signed us up for a painting class. The project was the Enchanted Rose from Beauty and the Beast. Since Marina loves art so much, I thought it might be fun. We showed up while they were still setting up so we each got a drink and talked with the staff about other Disney projects they have from time to time.

Creating our paintings was more difficult than we expected. Marina got a bit frustrated and complained my picture was better than hers. Despite her unhappiness, she kept at it. The colors she blended were really pretty and ultimately the picture came together.

When the class was over, Marina said, “Let’s do this again!” Next time I think we’ll try something a bit easier.

Mother's Day Flowers

This afternoon we went to the botanic gardens. We wanted to see the lilac gardens while they are blooming. There were quite a few people when we arrived, but we were able to find a good parking spot and we headed in.

The gardens are having a special exhibit of sculptures now, so we took a look at some of them on the way. The lilacs weren’t completely in bloom yet, but there were plenty of flowers for us to smell. We spent a long time enjoying the flowers before we moved on to other parts of the garden.

We wandered to the back part of the gardens where we saw many water features surrounded by beautiful plants. As we walked though some storm clouds moving in. So we headed toward the exit. We were fortunate to get to the car before the rain started.

Art in Bloom

Marina and I have been wanting to see the In Bloom exhibit at the Art Museum for a while now. Today we finally decided to go.

When we arrived at the Art Museum, Marina immediately wanted to go to the interactive studio. She was immediately interested in the drawing station, where she drew a rose. She also used watercolors and chatted the lady painting next to her. She even gave Marina her painting.

We went into the In Bloom exhibit. Marina loved the fresh flowers which were placed at the beginning. She even photographed them. She liked looking at all the floral portraits. I let her know which painters were very famous – Monet, Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh. We discussed which ones we liked best throughout.

When we finished with In Bloom, I suggested we check out the Native American art. Marina balked at first, but once we were there, she loved it. We saw baskets, clothing and even a tipi. We found an area with activities and stayed there for a while.

We went back to the studio where Marina tried designing clothes and jewelry with flowers. She spent a long time at that. Once she was done, the Art Museum was about to close, so we went home.

Friends and Flowers

It's been a while since Marina and I have visited the botanic gardens, so we decided it was time to go back. A new art exhibit opened last month, "The Art of the Horse" which we wanted to see as well. We invited Ainsley to join us today.

When we first arrived we went straight to the children's garden. The girls enjoyed looking at the flowers (especially the many colors of columbines - the state flower). Ainsley identified many of the animal tracks left in the sidewalks. They have fun running across the bridge and wearing bird wings. The wading stream was really crowded, so hey only spent a short time there. Once we explored the whole children's garden, we stopped to have lunch.

After lunch, we checked out the tropical greenhouse. At that point, both girls got their cell phones out and took pictures of their favorite plants. We met a little girl in the greenhouse who loved hanging around with them as well.

Next we viewed some of the horse sculptures. We went through the Japanese, Chinese, rose and sculpture gardens. And the girls browsed the gift store before we headed out. By then they were pretty tired.

Winter Garden

Marina had the day off from school today. It was unseasonably warm so it seemed ideal to find something to do outside. We haven't been to the botanic gardens in a while, so we decided to see what was going on there.

Much of the grounds was covered with recent snowfall, but it was still very pretty. The Chihuly exhibit was no longer there, but a new piece has been installed on a permanent basis since we last visited. So we went to see that first.

We walked through some the other gardens we have been to many times. But they all looked very different in the snow. We paid more attention to the artwork and structures than we normally do.

Next we went into the new Science Pyramid. It opened after our last visit and Marina was excited to finally see inside. When we walked in, she spoke with a scientist who showed her slides of plant leaves under a huge magnifying glass. She also enjoyed exploring many exhibits which allowed her to view different ecosystems.

Her favorite part was a huge globe where she could choose to look at anything from flight patterns to hurricane activity. One had weather patterns from the year she was born. It took her a while, but she was able to get the dial to land on the day she was born.

After we explored the Science Pyramid, we looked at the Japanese garden. She was surprised to see fish in the icy water. She also started drawing happy faces in the snow banks she saw.

We went into the greenhouse and found many spring flowers already in bloom. Marina wasn't able to smell as many as she wanted because there were bees all over them. I'm sure the bees don't have many other options right now! We went on to the tropical conservatory. We were both shocked by the heat and humidity. But the tropical plants were clearly thriving.

After a couple hours we decided to leave. We'd had a nice walk, even if we hadn't seen many flowers. But we know we'll be back for the spring flowers.

Tea for Two

Marina and I have attended many tea parties over the years, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to attend a formal tea at the botanic gardens. Marina was a bit nervous when she saw she was the only child in attendance, but everyone at our table was very welcoming.

The tea party was hosted by a "tea sommelier," who compared her expertise to a wine sommelier's knowledge of wines. She talked about the different types of tea and the plants and leaves that they come from. The described the difference between high tea and low tea. She also gave a brief history of the solarium we were sitting in. We were excited to hear that this beautiful structure was originally commissioned and used by Disney. One woman there said it had been used in the movie Mary Poppins.

Marina was bored by much of the introduction, but she perked up as soon as the food arrived. We were presented with trays of egg salad crostini, cucumber herb sandwiches, scones served with strawberry jam and Chantilly cream, lavender shortbread and lemon madeleines. She was a bit unsure about some of the food, but she tried and liked everything. While we ate, she chatted happily with the young ladies seated near her. She would not, however, have a cup of tea, so she drank water from her china cup.

Once the party was over, we headed out into the gardens. They were crowded and the day was very hot. We went around to parts of the Chihuly we hadn't been to before. After about an hour, we headed out.

Marina wanted to go to the children's garden, as usual. She spent quite a while in the wading stream. Then we went to the children's pond and stage. The last time we were there, the stage was being renovated. Marina was delighted that the renovations were complete. She enlisted the help of two little boys who were there and the three of them put on a play together.

Once the play was over, we were tired and very hot, so we went home. It had been a lovely day!