From Beaches to Peaches!

9-29-17 Angie and Josh's 10th year anniversary!!!!

10 years ago today we attended their fantastic wedding! Hard to believe it's been that long ago!!!

Still as beautiful 10 years later---

So what do you do on your 10th anniversary when your parents aren't around to watch the pups?---Camp in your back yard, of course!

And where were we????---Still in St. Louis. We went to South County to meet up with one of Ken's cousins for lunch. It was a great visit. Then we detoured on the way home by way of MOBOT. This is the interesting shop down the street from the Missouri Botanical Gardens.

Wonder who buys these large concrete statues? I haven't seen too many giraffes in peoples' yards!

the front of MOBOT is decorated for Fall.

Love these large flat lily pads

As we were entering, Ken mentioned the tram was leaving in about 10 minutes. In all the years I've been going here, I've never taken the tram---even though we always get about 6 free tram tickets with our memberships. I tried to a couple times, but the timing wasn't good. I remembered I had the coupons in the car, so I told Ken to go get us a seat and I'd hustle to the car and get the vouchers. He did, and I did, and I finally got to ride on the tram! It was a nice change of pace, and I actually learned a few things.
This was the first stop along the route---by the William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening. It is the nation’s most comprehensive resource center for gardening information, includes 23 residential-scale demonstration garden. This sculpture was at the entrance to that garden area.

The 2nd stop---by the entrance to the Japanese Garden. Usually I make a point of walking around this garden, but we figured we'd stay on the tram and ride all the way around. This was some of the Japanese Garden from the tram.

another view into the Japanese Garden.

The yard between the English Woodland Garden (dedicated in memory of Adelaide LaBeaume Cherbonnier and Edward Cherbonnier) and the Tower Grove House. They use a lot of low growing flowers as ground cover. Not too many still blooming this time of year, but it's pretty impressive in the Spring.

Looking over towards the Victorian Garden from the 3rd stop (by the Tower Grove House). This was the 3rd stop on the tram tour.

The Tower Grove House---Shaw's summer home. Sometimes they have it open for touring.

In 1895, the Cleveland Avenue Gatehouse, now named the Herring House, was constructed in accordance with Henry Shaw’s will to be a residence for the Garden’s groundskeeper. This year, thanks to a generous gift from the Herring family, the house was completely renovated so it can be used as private event space for small gatherings.

The original mausoleum Shaw built for himself. Later he decided to build it in a more shaded area a little closer to his summer house.

I just found this cute and interesting. Would like to see the pictures she took.

Looking across the reflection ponds towards the Spinks Pavilion. (originally known as the Flora Gate, it was built by Henry Shaw to serve as the main entrance to the Garden.)

the lilies in the reflection ponds were beautiful. This was a non-official stop on the tram tour (the regular route was changed because of some construction going on). We decided to get off here and Ken sat by the ponds while I wandered through the Climatron and Temperate House.

more of the pretty lilies.

lots of colors

Inside the Climatron---The first geodesic dome to be used as a conservatory.

The interior of the Climatron is designed on a tropical rain forest theme.

There are more than 2,800 plants growing inside the Climatron.

One of the Chihuly pieces that MOBOT purchased and left in the Climatron.

Inside temperature ranges from 64°F at night to a high of 85°F during the day with an average humidity is 85 percent.

1,400 different tropical species grow inside the Climatron

Including banana, cacao, coffee, many wild-collected plants, orchids, and exotic rare plants such as the double coconut

more than half an acre of beautiful rain forest

complete with waterfalls.

The back entrance from the Climatron leads to the Temperate House---it features plants from five regions of the world that share a Mediterranean climate: warm, dry summers and cool, rainy winters.

a bird's eye view of the walled Moorish Garden, modeled to resemble the 11th century garden at the Alahambra in Granada, Spain.

Outside the Temperate house they continued the theme of dry climate plants.

Looking back towards the Temperate House.

Back at the reflection pools we sat and enjoyed the views awhile longer. Like views of more water lilies.

A view of the Climatron from the end of one of the reflection pools.

garden around the pools.

more colorful lilies.

even the reflections of the leaves were interesting.

lilies and one of the Chihuly bulbs in the pool.

I love that guys can come here and enjoy it, too----I assume they were enjoying it.

The tram going by. We thought about riding it again since the rest of our vouchers will expire before we can use them. But it was getting late and we wanted to try and get out of the city before rush hour traffic got any worse.

Must have been peak water lily season!

I have no idea what these are, just thought they were interesting looking.

looking back towards the Climatron as we were heading back towards the entrance of the garden.

interesting flowers along the way.

Standing in the Rose Garden looking towards the Linnean House. It was built in 1882 and is the oldest continuously operated public greenhouse west of the Mississippi River. It is the only remaining greenhouse at the Garden that was built during Henry Shaw’s day. He built it to house his citrus and palm trees in over the winter months. Now it makes a pretty backdrop for weddings as well as housing warm weather plants.