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Tuesday Travels: Red Butte Garden

Last Saturday, John and I spent the afternoon at Red Butte Garden in Salt Lake City, Utah.  When we first arrived, we entered the visitor's center to pay the admission fee, then we walked upstairs to see the special events of the day: a glass exhibit, and an orchid show. I was expecting that maybe there would be a glass-blowing demonstration, but the exhibit was simply a display of glass items for sale. However, it was still interesting to see. 

 The orchid show was beautiful. I haven't had good luck in keeping orchids alive, so I'm impressed when I see orchids not only alive, but thriving. 
Photo: A display of orchids, including a huge hanging orchid with lavender blossoms

 When I couldn't take the warm humid orchid room any longer, we ventured outside. We had never been to Red Butte Garden before, and I wasn't sure what to expect, especially in November, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only were trees, shrubs, and grasses interesting, but some flowers were still blooming, too. 
Photo: Small red fruits hang from an otherwise bare tree, while green grasses and low spreading plants grow on the ground
Photo: Bear grass has curly blades interspersed between its straight green blades
Photo: Pink daisy-like flowers stand near a descriptive sign that read, "Ryan's Pink Mum Chrysanthemum 'Ryan's Pink' Aster Family. Pink flowers with yellow centers sway above the foliage on this low-growing perennial. Zones 4-9."

 Trails meander all over the place, leading from one themed garden to another. I gathered ideas for what we might plant in our backyard. 

 In addition to plants, we saw amazing sculptures, fountains, and sitting areas. I don't think our backyard budget would accommodate incorporating those ideas on such a grand scale, but it was nice to see how the features looked in their environment. 
Photo: A metal frog is poised, ready to squirt water out of its mouth into the (labeled) hand basin
Photo: The sun shines through a giant metal dome (structure for wisteria) and falls on a garden bench.

 We wandered by the amphitheater. During the summer months, Red Butte Garden hosts frequent concerts. We haven't attended any, but will definitely put it on our radar for the future. 

 All in all, the afternoon was enjoyable, and I hope to return again, to see the changing landscape in different seasons. 

 Have you visited a garden in November? What did you observe?

Comments

  1. Tired TeacherNovember 6, 2018 at 11:17 AM

    How lovely! The orchids are beautiful, but it would be fun to explore the Garden grounds.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rozy LassNovember 6, 2018 at 5:20 PM

    I believe those small red fruits are crabapples. What a beautiful place! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

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