Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden South Africa

We visited Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden 25 November 2023 on a lovely Spring day. What's so impressive about this garden is the fantastic setting on  a hillside with the majestic Table Mountain in the background.

We walked the paths and some of the trails, which are clearly marked.

The  variety of colourful specimens is stunning.

Of course for those of us in North America, the different trees grabbed our attention.

There are many trails off the main pathways.

After walking for a few hours, we enjoyed a great lunch in the restaurant.

There's more--

An amazing tree canopy walkway (called Boomslang "tree snake")

A large conservatory

See more of our voyage to Africa

 https://suttontravels.blogspot.com/2023/12/cruising-to-south-africa.html

About the Garden

It's located in Cape Town, South Africa

It was established in 1913

Botanist, Henry Harold Pearson of Cambridge University was the unpaid director in 1913

The area is about 2 square miles

There are more than 7,000 plant species.

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Kew Gardens, London England UK

Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania, USA

Notes

There is an entry fee.

There is a Braille Trail

There are places for picnics and many benches.

There are concerts throughout the year.

Website: Kirstenbosch - SANBI

Google Map below

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Longwood Gardens Pennsylvania

 

Longwood Gardens are a beautiful collection of indoor and outdoor gardens and fountains located in Eastern Pennsylvania on land previously occupied by the Lenni Lenape tribe. Later, Quakers farmed the land. Pierre S. du Pont is recognized as the founder of the gardens.

One trail leads to a bird-friendly meadow, a small pond, and an old house.

A variety of outdoor gardens offer a diversity of flowers and plants.

The indoor gardens are fabulous.

There are fountains and water features throughout the park. 

There are periodic shows at the main fountains.

Following is a video I took 4 June 2021. It includes a part of the fountain show and is available on my YouTube Channel SuttonTravels.

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Nathanael Greene Park Springfield Missouri USA

Lake at Nathanael Greene Park Geoff W Sutton 2017

Nathanael Greene Park located at 2400 South Scenic in Springfield MO (65807) is more than a place to enjoy a picnic in a pleasant setting. In addition to the usual park things like trails, picnic areas, play areas, and a small lake, this park has other attractions.

There are many gardens with a special focus such as dwarf conifers, roses, and an English garden.
















Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden is a traditional Japanese Garden present since 1986. There is a fee so check the web site for details.













A Butterfly House is open on a seasonal basis- see the website for details.

Local life in the mid 1800s can be examined at the Gray-Campbell Farmstead. There's a cabin, barn, kitchen, granery, outhouse and school.




Trails circle the Lake and connect to the area Greenway Trail. On the trail outside the park is a marker for the Trail of Tears route.

Facilities: There are restrooms and a shop and classrooms in the Botanical Center.
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Cost: No cost for the general park area but there are costs for some activities.
Website: http://www.parkboard.org/274/Springfield-Botanical-Gardens
Parking: I have always found a place to park even on busy event days.
Garden Map: http://www.parkboard.org/DocumentCenter/View/1482
Arboretum Map:  https://springfieldparksmo.mytreekeeper.com/

Morton Arboretum

I visited the Morton Arboretum in March so my view lacked Spring foliage and flowers, summer green, autumn colors, or winter snowscapes. I say this to give context to my perspective that this place is nice but the entry fee did not offer much more than can be found in many well-maintained parks.

I spent most of several hours on various trails through different treescapes. I appreciated the great variety of trees and saw a small variety of birds plus a few squirrels.

The Arboretum is worth a visit and I suspect it would be great to visit often if living nearby. 

In addition to the trails, there are educational programs as well as mazes and play areas for children. 

The store and cafe were inviting but as usual in similar places, the prices are not cheap. The toilets were clean and well-maintained. 

There appears to be plenty of parking. 

Check the website for details on  fees and events.

KEW GARDENS ENGLAND

The Royal Botanical Gardens (Kew Gardens; www.kew.org) offers a floral feast, a pleasant place to walk, and a place to learn. The gardens are open every day except 24 and 25 December.

We visited in May 2016. We took the train from London to Kew Gardens Station, which is near the Victoria Gate. You pass several local shops between the station and the gate. There's more information on the website.








In addition to a variety of gardens, you can visit Kew Palace and Royal Kitchens. The first royals here were George II and Queen Caroline. Perhaps a more famous monarch is George III. His wife, Queen Charlotte has a cottage nearby. The buildings are not open all yar so check the website.








One of several interesting features is the Treetop Walkway.





There's a lot to see so we'll have to go back.




There are places to eat at Kew. And there are places to enjoy a picnic.

The shop has a range of affordable gifts.

You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases.

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