Henry Shaw's dream lives on 150 years later. This year, 2009 marks The Sesquicentennial of The St. Louis Botanical Gardens. The words, awesome, incredible, magnificent, beautiful, and wow all come to mind when I think of the visits we've had there. An Englishman, Henry Shaw felt there was more then just beauty to flowers and plants. He understood their importance and felt the science of, the study of to be necessary. His home was the beginning of this dream. He had an exotic orchid collection.
The St. Louis Botanical Gardens covers 79 acres, is opened all seasons with a wide variety of activities for all, regardless of age and interest. You can purchase your tickets on line, park free and rent a motorized scooter if walking presents a problem. The entire garden acreage is disability friendly, accessible for all to enjoy. Ticket prices vary based on age, whether or not you're a member, and a St. Louis county or city resident.
The list of activities to enjoy there is long. You can walk for exercise from 7-9 am, tour on your own, join a guided tour, line up a birthday party, take an educational class, experience special festivals; or summer evening concerts.
Every year 100,000 new specimens arrive at the gardens. The scientific exploration, preservation, and identification that Henry Shaw started so long ago has grown to a global effort. A temperature controlled vault and complete catalog of plant species is something the casual visitors doesn't see, but one that carries forward the importance of Shaw's dream. Plants and flowers provide more than just beauty for our eyes to behold, they improve the air quality we breath, provide medications, keep our soil from eroding. They sustain us in many ways.
I encourage everyone to put this on their list of things to do. I plan to return again, and again.
**pssssssss, did you vote for me? There's still time, click on the badge at the top of the post, and Thanks!
Beautiful photos Sandy I always love stopping by to see all the great places you've been and recommend.
ReplyDeleteI bet the gardens are beautiful and so peaceful!
ReplyDeleteWow the garden looks great! I bet the garden has a very soothing aura in it. Photos look beautiful, too! :D
ReplyDeleteReally pretty photos, as usual. Love the gardens....
ReplyDeleteI love the botanical gardens. I have never been to the on in St Louis, but I have been to Chicago's, and I loved it.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandy, I used to go to the public gardens close to my home in the States to get ideas of plants to put into my own garden. Gardening has always been a pleasure for me so seeing these photos of a well kept garden was a treat.
ReplyDeleteLove the photos and the gardens as well.
ReplyDeleteyou have a wonderful blog, keep blogging...
I'm not a good gardener. I kill almost everything and therefor never plant. Well, almost never. Have a couple I'm trying to grow in pots right now...we'll see.
ReplyDeleteBirthday Party? Wow, what little girl wouldn't love to have a party in a beautiful flower garden. I'll have to look into that idea with the gardens around here. Thanks for the idea.
Nice post here. I always like to visit nearest botanical garden in Bogor West Java.
ReplyDeleteThanks for yours comment at my blog, about metatag, i see this blog description and keywords has a poor relation, please contact me by email to discuss!
great looking pics! Thanks for sharing them with us! {:-Deb
ReplyDeleteGorgeous place!! I wish we lived closer to gardens like this one!
ReplyDeleteHi Sandy! I love being with nature...so the botanical gardens would be a great place for me to visit... and simply gazing at those lovely blooms can be really relaxing. The topmost third pic from left (blue flowers?) looks interesting. :)
ReplyDeleteWe have a botanical garden at our local zoo, but I have never visited it. Now I want to.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to let you know I posted about how I got all my groceries for $23.
Thanks for sending me over here, Sandy! Your pictures are beautiful and I cannot wait to visit these gardens.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandy! My first time here in your comment box ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou have such lovely captures! I am sure you have been to different places. Thanks for sharing.
BTW, I truly appreciate your thoughts on my recent post. You've made a great point. I would also love to have that graph which shows the no. of drops made by an EntreCarder.
I commend your efforts at reaching out to bloggers by commenting. I wish I have so much time in my hands so that I could do it, too. Most bloggers are passive though. They would love people to comment on their blogs but they don't do the same for other blogs.
My post was first published a year ago. It was re-published because of the Saturday Saved Meme. Things have changed quite a great deal at EntreCard. If we want to stay and thrive, we have to be more strategic. It would make us much more effective if we could develop a working system because of the tougher measures that's being implemented by EC. I am not sure for how long I will be around. It depends on how things are going.
I tried to vote for you but I can't find your blog. Can you please give me the exact URL to which I can cast my vote?
ReplyDeleteThank you.
It is lovely to see that you have included these beautiful gardens. Sometimes we have to visit somewhere like this not only to see plants at their best but also the ones that we'd really love to grow but sadly don't have success with.
ReplyDeleteI think it rather spoils the majority of us as when we see plants in a garden centre or nursery we often take the plunge and purchase a plant that we really know would take a miracle to grow in our own gardens.
Lovely pictures, Sandy!
Beautiful shots and write up. This was one place in St. Louis I did not get to see. Thanks for sharing this location, I will have to keep it in mind if we ever get back out that way!
ReplyDeletethe surroundings are stunning. hope you had a nice relaxing time
ReplyDeleteTina from
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It was a beautiful garden. Flowers everywhere, I love the pics!
ReplyDeleteWonderful writing! You have got the talent of creative writing. I individually cherished the summarization especially the perfect drafting of skilful thoughts.And yes i have bookmarked your site travelingsuitcase.blogspot.com .
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