The Enchanted Garden

Last Saturday, we packed up the kids and my parents and drove 10 minutes up the street to the Botanical Gardens.  Now, I've lived in this town for 7 years, have driven by the entrance gate hundreds of times and never once stopped to see the beauty that lies behind the gates and right on the coast. 

I gave Cam a five minute lecture that went something like this:

Me: Camdyn.  We are not allowed to touch the flowers and the plants inside this Enchanted Garden.  If we touch them they will kick us out.

Camdyn:  Kick us out?  But, God says it's not nice to kick.

Me:  I mean, they will ask us to leave, not really kick us.  It's just a phrase.  But, please, do not touch anything. Please.  Please.

So, we grab the umbrella, pack up the buggy, and head in.  We tour their indoor greenhouse, the butterfly garden, and a house that was built back in 1936, all the while dodging tiny rain droplets, and breathing the fresh air.  We take in the view of the water, the boats, and the gorgeous flowers.  Camdyn, is quick to remind me that I shouldn't touch anything, even if my shorts inadvertently graze a plant.  She asks questions about the plants, and she looks but never touches, which is huge for her, because she is known for popping the tops off of every flower she sees.  All the while Chloe sits in the buggy and points at herons and flowers.

Now, I'm not a Botanist or a Professional Photographer, so I can't do these plants

justice.  But, I do know that they were a sight to behold.

Especially, two giant trees, they may have been Banyan trees, I'm really not sure, but their roots systems were exposed, and the trees were intertwined in each other like they'd been the best of friends for centuries.  The kind of friends that grow in to each other and the kind that know that they will always be side by side and weathering it all for years to come.   It was spectacular to view, and even more fun for the kids to climb and wander around. 

We spent the bulk of our visit under these trees where the earth was dry and the air was cool.

And here's Gramma and Cam - that's one HUGE Tree

And after we'd spent two hours wandering the garden, only slightly soaked, we headed back to the car and Camdyn asked, "Mommy, why weren't there Princesses in the Enchanted Garden?" 

Because, my love, God was there instead.