Yerba Buena Garden

 

The Yerba Buena Gardens are located in San Francisco, California.  Basically, it's two blocks of public parks in downtown San Francisco.  It provides over 100,000 square feet of green space for the residents.  There's grass, gardens, streams, and fountains, and even a 100 year old carousel (built in 1906) that children can enjoy.

   Children can also find a playground, a labyrinth made of hedges, and an area where they can alter the flow of the streams to create dams or irrigate the gardens.

The park is open daily from dawn to dusk.  The Carousel is open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  The cost for two rides on the carousel is $3.00.

I'm going to begin posting the IWSG questions of the month here instead of on my Mama Diaries Blog. For those of you who don't know, I lost my son in a motorcycle accident on February 2nd. I've decided to leave my Mama Diaries blog as a tribute to him since there are many stories from his childhood there. 

The question of the month is if you could be someone else for a while, who would you be and why. Actually, even with all the pain and sadness I've been through, I wouldn't want to be anyone else. I'm perfectly happy as myself.   

Gardening Tip:  To get rid of fruit flies on houseplants, pour apple cider vinegar into a container, cover with plastic wrap, and poke holes in the top. The flies will go in and not come out. 

The Jimmy Carter Center Gardens

 

In honor of the passing of our 39th president, I thought I'd share information about the gardens at the Jimmy Carter Center. 

The Jimmy Carter Center Gardens, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is a thirty-seven acre wooded park that contains a formal garden, wild flower meadow, cherry orchard, Japanese garden, a couple of lakes, and waterfalls.  The rose garden contains about 400 plants with 80 different varieties.

Of course the gardens aren't the only thing to see here.  The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum is here, which features an exact replica of the Oval Office and the Nobel Prize awarded to Jimmy Carter.

The gardens are open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 -4:45 and Sunday from 12:00 - 4:45.  Admission is $8.00 for adults.

  

Tip of the Day:

Dryer sheets have insect-repellent properties. Place them in the corners of rooms, on rafters, along window sills, in potted plants, or anywhere you tend to see spider webs. You can also rub the sheet on bare skin to discourage mosquitos from biting you.   

Fruit and Spice Park and a New Release

 

The Fruit and Spice Park, located in Homestead, Florida, is a unique place to visit. It is a thirty-acre public park that features 500 varieties of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and nuts. Guided tours are available, and visitors can quite literally munch their way through the garden.  (There's a tasting counter at the park shop to sample things you can't yank off the plants and eat.)  If you want to learn about fruits and vegetables and see how they are naturally grown (especially ones that aren't found in your area), this is the place to visit.

The park is open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  Cost of admission for adults is $5.00, and for children, it is $1.50.

And here's my new release, the last book of the Bubba and Squirt series:  

Book links: Amazon / iTunes / B&N / Kobo / Goodreads

Garvan Woodland Gardens

 

Garvan Woodland Gardens is located about six miles from Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  The garden was started by Verna Cook Garvan in the 1920s.  After her death, she left the garden to the Department of Landscape Architecture of the University of Arkansas.

The gardens are simply breathtaking.  They cover 210 acres and contain waterfalls, picturesque bridges, gorgeous overlooks, and a Japanese garden.  It's a perfect place for nature lovers.

The gardens are open February through November from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and in December from noon to 9:00 PM.  Admission is $10.00 per adult and $5.00 per child.

Cragfont Gardens

 

Cragfont Gardens are located in Castalian Springs, Tennessee.  They are part of the frontier mansion of Revolutionary War hero, General James Winchester.  The mansion, built in 1802,  now serves as a museum, and the gardens are a popular place for weddings.  There is a gazebo, a lake with a fountain, and a plethora of colorful blooms.

The gardens are open April 15th through November 1st.  Hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday from 10:00 - 5:00, and Sunday by appointment.  Cost of admission is $5.00 for adults, and $3.00 for children.

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens

 

The Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, located in Nashville, Tennessee, are 55 acres of lush gardens that surround the art museum there.  The property once belonged to the Cheek family.  Today, visitors can still see the original Cheek gardens, with pools, fountains, statues, and formal boxwood.  In addition, there is a Howe wildflower garden, an Herb Study garden, an impressive iris collection, daffodil garden, and orchid house.

    

The gardens are open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  Cost of admission is $14.00 for adults, and $7.00 for children.  There is also a $3.00 per car parking fee. 

Norfolk Botanical Garden

 Norfolk Botanical Garden, located in Norfolk, Virginia, is nationally recognized for its deep-rooted history and celebrated for its blossoms in every season. In 1938, a Works in Progress Administration grant paid 220 African-American workers to clear 30 acres of dense vegetation, sowing the seeds for what is now one of the largest collections of azaleas, camellias, roses, and rhododendrons on the East Coast. The 175-acre garden is home to more than 65 themed gardens, 95 species of birds, and 30 kinds of butterflies.

The gardens are open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM.

The cost of an adult ticket is $17.95.

In other news, the 4th book of my Bubba and Squirt series, Bubba and Squirt's Shield of Athena, is coming out on May 7th!  Here it is at Virginia Beach, a place not far from these gardens.