Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

From the moment we walked through the doors of the Visitors’ Center, I felt like I had been transported to a different time—a serene, beautiful, surreal one. Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is a hidden gem. Stunning expanse of the most beautiful little gardens all over the acres and acres of nature.  It was the perfect day to explore. But then again, Aaron and I are ready to explore any day of the week 😉 Grace loves the outdoors and will relinquish all desires for sleep just to soak in all the beauty around her. And, oh it was beautiful! I will warn you that this is a picture overload but I am sure you won’t mind when you see God’s gift to us – Nature at its best!
These daffodils greet you right when you walk out the door and into the gardens. How cheerful!

 The little fairy garden was precious! So well-thought out—whimsical, magical, and just plain cute! 

You walk out a few feet and you are greeted by more color and Spring is making her appearance known throughout the area. 

I don’t know about you but I am a sucker for a bench in a park, surrounded by lush greenery, chirping birds, a gentle breeze and a good book. This seems to satisfy all those requirements! 

This picture of Aaron and Grace just melts my heart! Our little but fiercely independent girl would rather be right there with us, exploring, than being stuck in a stroller and be wheeled about.  She loves to walk and go places. And we love seeing her walk, all the while shaking our heads in disbelief over how fast time flies and how grown up she already has become. 

The highlight of our visit besides the gardens themselves was the Tuttle girls—Leti and Rachel. Leti knew me when I was 16 and lived in India. Rachel is her beautiful daughter who absolutely LOVES Gracie! They lived in Virginia for 5 years before they moved to Honduras last year, right after Gracie was born. It was wonderful that they could spend some time with us and get to play with Gracie. They are the closest thing to family for me and I love them so much! 

 The Korean Bell Garden. 

The girls 🙂 

This pavilion was idyllic! Framed by cherry blossoms, in the middle of a pond stocked with fish and turtles, this was a favorite spot in the gardens. The pavilion also provided some much-needed shade (it was 80 degrees) and Aaron took a quick nap while I snapped a few, okay , a few hundred, pictures. 

The Aaron and Yolanda. (Man, I still have about 15-20 pounds of baby weight to lose and in this picture, it looks like they all climbed up and sat on my cheeks!) Nevertheless, it is rare for me to be IN the pictures, so I am making it a point to do just that. 

Guarding the nest. Diligent and undeterred by human curiosity or proximity. 

This whole scene is like a fairy tale come alive. 

 Ah! My sweet girls! Both of them are just so darn adorable! 

This whole place was so magical! We enjoyed our time there, and we cannot wait to come back here in the fall to take in all the amazing colors! If you are ever in town, check out these gardens! You will not be disappointed!