Monday, December 13, 2010

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

As much as I tell myself I'm opting out of the Holiday Hysteria, somehow I find myself overwhelmed every year.  I have so much I want to take time out to do--baking, decorating, cards--but my job and a half don't seem to care.  Add to this Miss Chef's December schedule, which now runs 7 days a week, often for 12 hours a day, and I've got just a little too much on my plate right now.  (Except for cookies...could still use more cookies on that plate.)

However!  Thanks to some friends who arranged a fun holiday-themed get-together, I did take a few hours this weekend to stop and...see the lights.


The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is located just west of Charlotte.  It is a relatively new place, but already has several acres of beautifully designed gardens.  For the holiday season, the entire place is wrapped, draped and trimmed with seasonal lighting.  (Fair warning: this is a picture-heavy post!)


The arbors were still hung with "winsteria"...


The naked crape myrtles showed off their lovely limbs in a grove of white lights.


(I've run most of these through photo-editing software to adjust the lighting and try to sharpen them up.)

There's a mini canal with a fountain at one end, which is one of my favorite spots.  You can see back to the main entrance building at the other end.


Here's a lovely planter full of bright blooms...


It was one of many lining this snowflake-studded walkway.


The highlight for me is always the three-story high glass orchid conservatory.  It's a beautiful way to warm up on a cold December night.


One of my favorite sights here is the wall of orchids.  This is just a section of it.


I'm amazed at the variety of colors and structures of the orchids.  Doesn't this one look just like an iris?


Similar colors, totally different flower:


I love this yellow spray of blossoms.


This is not a flower!


Back to the beautiful colors...this one also reminds me of an iris.


These are very Easter-y colors, to me.  Oh, but wait...isn't it winter outside?  Oh, yes...there is indeed a Christmas tree in the main entrance building.  One like you've probably never seen before!


Yup, a tree composed entirely of orchids!  Ours at home is beautiful, but it can't compare to this one.

Hope you all are having a calm, peaceful holiday season.

10 comments:

  1. How much fun is that?? What a beautiful place!!

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  2. You know I love my home way out here on the plains, but alas, there are no Christmas lights. So thank you so much for this post. And the 3 story orchid house must be stunning.

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  3. nice, especially the Christmas tree. Whin is/was Daniel Stowe?

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  4. So cool! This would get me in the mood for Christmas! Glad you went and took us along too!

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  5. Beautiful! I was thoroughly entranced with your pictures of lights and then I saw the orchid tree. That. Is. Fabulous! Thank you for sharing!

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  6. Oh my gosh how lovely!! Good for you for stopping and 'smelling' the roses. Aren't you glad you did!
    Thanks for sharing with us. :)
    To see color in wintertime is quite the treat.
    Cookies? Did you say cookies? :) Eat one for me please.

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  7. Oh my. How absolutely beautiful. Lucky you for finding so much amazing COLOR at this time of the year! :D Wow.

    I love the "winsteria." Thank you so much for sharing this Flartus!

    Hope you're having a calm, peaceful holiday season too.

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  8. Gorgeous! The orchid tree is just stunning. We have a similar garden here called the Butchart Gardens, and they have a light display every Christmas on the theme of The Twelve Days of Christmas - they constructed it over 12 years, adding one new display every year, and we were all sad when they finished all twelve!

    Christmas. Lights. Friends. Cookies. Perfect.

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  9. Beautiful pics ~ thanks for sharing your Christmas serenity! Like you, I must force myself to stop and enjoy these moments as no matter how I plan, I'm always working n wrapping n mailing n whupped! Thanks too for the great food posts - I *was* missing those! ;-)
    hugs,
    Leslie

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  10. Wow! That orchid Christmas Tree is fabulous!

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