MEADOWLARK GARDENS ON 10-27-21 - PART 2

 I found these in one of the flower beds before we went inside the visitor center.  I was happy to see them blooming and looking so healthy at this time of the year, and the small bee was enjoying a snack.  These are Echinacea Sombrero Lemon Yellow Coneflower~

And quite a jump from flowers to this little chap.  Straight through the doors of the visitor center and immediately to the left is a terrarium that contains Sunshine (I named him long ago).  He is a Bearded Dragon I have shared before.  I always stay for a few minutes and we have a little chat.  Usually there are no others around and perhaps they would think this quite odd, but it's been a habit since childhood.  I was always bringing home things that my mother found good homes for.  There were no bearded dragons where I lived of course, but there were frogs.  We had a cat, a dog and several rabbits but there was always room for more.  The pet white rat I told you about before, which my friend's mother told me I could have, according to my mother, was very homesick for his own family, and she had to take him back.  (My mother had her own conversations with all living things, including the white rat.)  I was upset but I understood.  It hadn't been long that I had returned from a school trip, and I had been terribly homesick.  There are other terrariums in the visitor center.  These contain fish and frogs, but Sunshine is the only one I have a conversation with.  He looks at the lady with her face near the glass, with an expression of understanding that makes me smile.  "Uh-huh." he says. 

More views of the Fairy Garden mentioned in Friday’s post...  

with the visitor center in the background.

and the tower can be seen where the remaining fairies are still fitting in some flying practice.

Several of the trees are being decorated with fairy lights.  

It was interesting to go to the garden to see all the work being done for their Winter Walk of Lights starting in November.  You can check that out at this link.  It is going to look very pretty in the dark.  We had a small preview in all the shaded areas around the garden.

Further down the hill we saw people working.  All these fixtures had sandbags on their bases to stop them from falling over as they hadn’t long been placed in position.  

These will be very pretty also.

I am looking forward to coming back for the Winter Walk of Lights, to see everyone's hard work come to life.  I have more photos taken at the garden, but that's all of the decorations for now.

Thanks for joining me today and enjoy the rest of your week.

A VISIT TO MEADOWLARK BOTANICAL GARDENS LAST MARCH

This is a favorite go-to place of ours.  My regular blogging friends have seen the garden before.  If you are a new visitor, you can look at the labels below this post, and click on Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.  I have taken a lot of photos over the years.  

Our last time was in March, as shown in this post, and we haven't been since.  That is unusual for us but it has been a very cold spring.  Last time we thought the weather was finally getting better, but it became bitterly cold again, and never really warmed up.  I prefer to meander around at a decent, but not overly fast pace, so that I can take in all the sights and enjoy its surroundings.  

The entrance is through a very nice visitor center where there are several terrariums.  One of my favorites is the lizard but I also enjoy the fish and the frogs.   

There are also paintings done by talented local artists.

I cropped this one for a closer look.

We enjoy walking the pathways that take us all around the garden.  I've shared photos of the children's garden several times.  

A familiar face.

The Canada Goose came over and checked us out, but didn't seem to think we were a threat.  His head didn't go down, never once striking the defensive, wings out, might give us a runner, stance.  If he showed signs I would have turned on my heel in the other direction.  I've been there before in nesting season and it was still a little early for that.  It is often hard to stay the required distance when they are feeding right next to the walking path.

The mushroom/fungus growing on the trunks of the trees are always interesting.

A nice view across one of the three ponds at the garden.

A bench I covet.  It turned up a few years ago.  I have searched on line for an identical one with no success.  

Even with all the cold weather, the daffodils were blooming...

and the helibores.

Pretty skies abound.  In the height of their growing season, these beds are full of roses and other beautiful flowers...

but in the meantime the spring flowers are the stars.

I always look forward to my next visit, hopefully soon, to see what will be blooming.