The Green Bay Botanical Gardens

Vanderperren English Cottage Garden

One of the last things I had the chance to do before leaving Wisconsin was visit the Green Bay Botanical Gardens!! My brother and sil(sister in law) invited us to these gardens for watching their puppies while they were in Minnesota.  

Purple and White Allium Themed Space

It was a steamy hot day but there was plenty of shade for us to cool off.  And once we got started on the various paths, we saw lots of beautiful color arrangements.

An older Question Mark Butterfly

Now I don't know if this was intended or not, but it really felt like I was walking through the Shire from Lord of the Rings.  I love how every region in the states has their own take on gardening.  People in Wisconsin love their hostas and flowers:)  I can't tell you how many types of hostas there are because there are like......a billion.  But if you love hostas, and who doesn't?, go visit Cheesehead Gardening.  The Hostanerd will tell you everything you need to know.  She even has a post on one particular hosta known as "Captain Kirk".  Yes, hostas are like roses are like succulents are like cacti....and then there are the iris fans.....well you get the idea.  Back on the path.....

Pink Asters

I spotted lots of wonderful themes throughout the gardens and they were absolutely splendid.

Mary Hendrickson Johnson Wisconsin Woodland Garden

My nephew loved capturing things.  Again boys will be boys.  But I had a chat with him about being careful picking something up like a toad or a frog.  Be gentle.  Don't carry them with you.  And put them back in the same spot you found them etc etc etc.  I was like this as a kid and today I would never pick anything up unless it was in danger, but kids have to touch touch touch.  And maybe that's a good thing.  Perhaps they will be the next shephards to watch over and care for our environment.  Nurturing our youth and promoting knowledge about the environment is extremely important in this day and age.  This year I've had 3 explorers with us....my niece, a friend's son, and of course, my own nephew during a couple outings.  And I've got to say this, they spot EVERYTHING!!!  They are good little detectives.  I'm so blind sometimes.  Maybe I do need to have kids:)?  But then again.....

Here is one of my brothers(below) with my nephew.  He's a good man and really wants to become a father.  No luck yet, but maybe soon. 

The important part is to just enjoy the paths we've all been given.  And like this post suggests, these were the kinds of conversations we were having throughout the walk.  Well and lot's of that family joking around:)

 And along the way, here are some things that grabbed my attention.....

12 Spotted Skimmer

 The Dragonflies around Wisconsin are stunning.

Look at this fun Butterfly Garden! I say fill that with lots and lots of succulents!

Lollipop Purle Allium

 The colors of purples and reds and whites and pinks and yellows and oranges and.....

Gertrude B. Nielsen Children’s Garden

 .....the designs........

......areas for kids to have fun......

John & Janet Van Den Wymelenberg Color & Foliage Garden

 .....and places to grab shade from the heat and humidity.

 These are also places to take cheesy family photos.  James Bond.

 ....and how does our youth today feel about older adults?  Do we really smell?

Red Flower Carpet shrub rose

.....and of course the themed gardens.

The Green Bay Botanical Gardens is a real treat for plant enthusiasts around the world.  7 dollar admission.  Here's their link for more info. Hope you enjoyed the tour. And of course more tomorrow....

Getting My Green On!

So when it's hot, and boy does it get hot here in Tucson during the month of June, it's time to take a trip.  In fact, June and September are my most UNfavorite months to live here in the desert.  Unfortuneatly, I'm working in September to take a trip anywhere but I'm indoors with the A/C during the hot part of the day. 

So we escaped to green green green Wisconsin!!  In several days, I'll be taking you there for some fun visits to a couple gardens, parks and of course some historical insights from my childhood etc.  I'll be capturing a lot of desert monsoon action in the mean time that will hopefully be featured at the end of the month of July.  Today we take you to the gardens outside the House on the Rock. It's the only part of our visit that didn't scare me.  You'll see why next week.  This Japanese Zen garden is absolutely breathtaking.  On our first day there, we just sat absorbing the wonderful weather, sounds and views of this garden.  Swallows were flying around the ponds as were lots of other critters.

12 Spotted Skimmer(Libellual pulchella)

Dragonflies this year have been for me some of the most interesting insects to capture on camera.  Here is yet another variety of dragonfly with blue and black wings.  That's the fun about going to another place....new things to capture on film!!  I think I always have been a photographer at heart because my camera has gone with me everywhere....even before the I purchased the professional one.  But I will note.  This camera has allowed me to carefully observe behaviors in people or animals that I normally wouldn't have seen with my own eyes.....and I think that's where the camera has really made a difference in my own life.  Detail is everything. Birding has made me a better observer. 

And while in the garden, we couldn't help but notice this mature tadpole near the lily pads.

The mosquitos weren't bad and our hikes were wonderful.  Sometimes I forget about all the plants one can grow in the midwest.  I'm not jealous about this, but I did think about something as I was there.   There is so much forest and leaf coverage that it makes spotting wildlife difficult.   Then I think about my own desert home.  I have gotten really good at spotting desert wildlife all around me, but is it because I have been gone away from my birthstate so long that I've lost my ability to see things there?  I think I did okay, but I could have done better.  My ears were excellent at picking up noise but my eyes are terrible at times.  So I had my nephews and nieces to help me out.  But they had to be VERY VERY quiet....and they did excellent playing detective with me.

If you are new to the desert, it's not uncommon to desire a green space.  Most of us get our "green on" in June.  We head to San Diego, the tropics, or back home to visit loved ones.  It's all part of being a transplant to the desert.  The important part is that we all keep those green plants back home and not try them here in our water starved deserts.  So to fix this need, you have to travel and get your green on! Well that's my coping strategy for the nasty heat. I hope you enjoy this series of posts coming up.  There are more chuparosa challenges and property updates from El Presidio.  More tomorrow.....