Yesterday we had a lovely time exploring Fairchild Tropical Gardens for free in celebration of Earth Day. We missed our playgroup’s storytime, but ran into several friends in the butterfly garden, by the lake, and amongst the rainforest.
Playgrounds are great for kids, but sometimes it’s good to take them out to enjoy nature without the distractions of play equipment. I worried that my kids might get bored or tired. Of course they retaught me the lesson I’ve learned so many times as a mother: all kids need is an unexplored path, a stick, and a sunny patch of grass to keep them endlessly fascinated.
Best shot of the day: Max called this leaf an umbrella.
I love wild tropical flowers. Why do we call only brown, blue and green natural? Have you seen the teals and fuchsias of the tropics? That's nature too!
Case in point.
Are waterfalls loud or soft? A listening lesson.
Fairchild regulary commisions artists to create large sculptures in their gardens. Such a surprise when you turn around the corner.
This picture can't do justice to the art. The petals from the giant rose sculpture fall and float nearby, as if a breeze had knocked them down.
Fun for climbing too!
And yellow!
I'm always surprised to see cacti in Miami, but desert landscapes work here.
The rainforest is a cool respite from the sun.
As are the tunnels which sometimes drip flowers.
Taking a break in the butterfly garden.
Jack plays caterpillar.
We find the rose again, and it's completely new from this vista.
The last thing we did was jump to touch this tree. Max touched it once after great effort. Even though they are old enough to miss a nap for this special day, they're still babies who can't even reach the lowest branch. Best part of our visit happened when we missed our tram ride: a friendly lady gave us passes to come back again. That means Nana (the best gardener we know) gets to join us for her upcoming visit. Did you get that: an upcoming visit from Nana! Pure Joy!
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