Denver Botanic Garden

Woke up around seven so we could get the rig put together and get on the road, headed back to the campground, while the traffic was light. My eyes were much clearer and less watery to be able to make the hour long drive so I felt confident that I could do it. It wasn’t until I got about ten minutes from the campground that they started to get scratchy and needed some tears but I hung in there till we got back and were set up. We got set up and settled in for the remainder of our time here.

Today we met our friend Ross at the Denver Botanic Gardens, about forty minutes from the campground. What an awesome place ! I hadn’t missed my flower beds, since being on the road for five years, until I went there today. Gorgeous beds of flowers….perennials, roses (I’ve never had a green thumb with roses), Asian gardens, wildflowers, sculptures, grasses and an indoor conservatory. We went on an hour long tour, with a guide, and then we had lunch at one of their cafes. After lunch, Ross needed to leave to go home to pack. He’s moving to a new place and the movers are coming in a couple days. I wanted to go back and check out some of the areas we had spotted but didn’t explore totally.

There is an exhibit currently there that is called Kizuna, which means “the bonds between people”. They are bamboo sculptures that are located throughout the gardens. Beautiful pieces ! Some of the pieces are floating in a pool but are tethered on a three foot line so they can move but not disturb the plants in the water. These pieces were really neat. Our tour guide said that the warm spell this year made the spring flowers so much bigger than they have ever been. We picked a great time to come to the gardens because there were amazing displays of flowers in bloom. Ross has lived in Denver for eight years but hasn’t ever been here. He certainly won’t be a stranger again….a place worth going back often as they change the displays throughout the year. If you like flowers and plants, it’s twenty some acres of pure bliss. A must see….

They also have a children’s garden area, which is built on the roof of the parking garage. Children can explore textures, colors and shapes with hands on exhibits. A very neat place for young kids. We had a great time today but after three hours there my eyes were really tired and ready for a rest. We came back home and took a nap.Will definitely put it on our “to do” list when we come back next year.