Happy Place

On our windy, sleeting, hailing, and/or snowing should-be-spring-but-not kind of days, you are likely to find me and the kids in one of our favorite places--the plant nursery.  We are on the slow warm-up track this month; the weather keeps reverting, and we keep retreating to our pseudo tropical paradise.  I think we have visited six different nurseries this month.  Each nursery offers a great variety of plant material, creative inspiration, and late winter/early spring solace.  When my garden is still buried under snow, I crave the warm sun and humid air of the greenhouse; it really rejuvenates me. 

A visit to a plant nursery is such a wonderfully satisfying sensory experience--for all of us.  We can run our fingers along the rows of ornamental grasses, smell the honeysuckle blossoms and lavender flower spikes, marvel at the brilliant red geraniums and rainbow colors of delicate pansies, and even taste the spearmint, peppermint, and chocolate mint leaves.  

Most of the nurseries have plants, as well as other wonderful add-on features: resident baby ducks, indoor koi pond, working (viewable) bee hive, kid play area with sand box, lounge chairs, and 8' x 8' play house complete with dormer windows and front porch, a cacti collection as large as my family room with several 12' specimen, rows and rows of fairy garden paraphernalia, statuary, and wind chimes from around the world--to name a few.  All in all, our visits are refreshing, entertaining, engaging--and free.

Ezra and his new toad friend.

Koi pond, bee hive, and fascinated children!