For this year’s Mother’s Day, I spent a wonderful afternoon with my family exploring Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Meijer Gardens, as it’s often called, is a 158-acre botanical garden and sculpture park. It’s a favorite place to visit for those who love botanical gardens, sculptures, butterfly gardens, nature trails and children’s garden.
And yes, it’s a great place to go birdwatching in the spring.
I’ve visited the gardens in the fall when there’s amazing autumn color, but not in the spring when the bulbs, shrubs, and trees are flowering.
Due to the rainy weather, we couldn’t spend time in the outdoor gardens. But that didn’t keep us from checking out the Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory and the Earl and Donnallee Holton Victorian Garden.
While we saw some beautiful bromeliads and other tropical flowering plants, what caught our attention today were the beautiful orchids.
I’ve been a fan of orchids for years. When I studied botany in college, I became fascinated with the colors, shapes, and forms of the flowers.
I remember how thrilled I was when I received a special delivery to my dorm room; an orchid for one of my birthdays.
It was a busy day at Meijer Gardens; seems like we weren’t the only ones who thought of visiting on Mother’s Day. Here are a few photos of the gorgeous flowers we saw today.
I’m looking forward to a return trip to Meijer Gardens next month, when the new eight-acre Japanese Garden is expected to open to the public.
