Take Mom to One of These Public Gardens on Mother’s Day
If your mom loves her garden or nurtures potted plants, then take her to a public garden this Sunday on Mother’s Day. Together, you’ll make memories that will keep giving long after the blossoms from her Mother’s Day bouquet fade.
If you can’t spend the day with Mom, consider buying her tickets to a nearby garden, instead. Here are my suggestions for seven bloom-filled excursions around the country.
1. The Brooklyn Botanical Garden in Brooklyn, New York. Hop a subway from Manhattan, and in just 25 minutes, you can stroll through a different world. Don’t miss the Cranford Rose Garden, which is one of the most popular attractions since the garden opened in 1928, the Fragrance Garden, designed for the blind, and the Shakespeare Garden, which exhibits more than 80 types of plants that were, at some point in time, featured in one of Shakespeare’s plays.
Everything’s coming up roses at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. (Photo: Brooklyn Botanical Garden)
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2. The Old Westbury Gardens on Long Island’s North Shore, New York. This pretty place covers 200 acres of ground that feature shaded walks, ponds and statues beneath willows, sycamores, maples and cypresses. It also features an old mansion, which was built by English designer George A. Crawley in 1906. When you go with Mom, consider a tour of the mansion itself, where you will also see paintings by John Singer Sargent, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, and John Constable.
Explore 200 acres of lush walkways and pretty gardens. (Photo: Old Westbury Gardens/Facebook)
3. The Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. The main draw here is that it’s a quiet escape from the bustling streets of Georgetown. Meander with your mom through the 17th- and 18th-century English gardens for a quiet respite before you return to the busy, tree-lined neighborhood filled with mansions, row houses, high-end shops, and waterfront restaurants. May I suggest treating Mom to a post-escape glass of Mother’s Day champagne at one of Georgetown’s many charming cafés?
If this doesn’t scream relaxation, what does? (Photo: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection/Facebook)
4. The Atlanta Botanical Garden in Atlanta, Georgia. First, take Mom on a canopy walk, in which you tour the urban forest from 40 feet above ground. Keep your eyes open for Red Tail Hawks as you go. When you get down from the canopy walk, stroll beneath fruit blossoms that resemble pink and white cotton candy. Finally, take in the apple trees in the edible garden — which include gala apples and golden delicious, among many others — and don’t forget to eat one, too. And be sure to check out what’s in bloom on the website before your visit, so you know what to expect — and what to seek out.
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There is no such thing as too many tulips. (Photo: Chris Kozarich/Atlanta Botanical Garden)
5. Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, near Pasadena, California. It offers a rich palate of themed botanical areas. Wander through the Japanese, Chinese, Rose, Shakespeare, Camellia, Jungle or Palm Gardens. Then, tour the Huntington Art Collections, which features paintings by Thomas Gainsborough, Mary Cassatt, and Edward Hopper. Make reservations in advance for traditional English tea or lunch in the Rose Garden Tea Room. Or, if you’re not the reservation kind, go for lunch at the café, where they are not required.
It’s an embarrassment of riches at the Huntington Botanical Gardens. (Photo: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens)
6. The Wrigley Gardens in Pasadena, California. If your mom loves roses, plan a visit to the 4.5 acres of 1,500 different kinds of roses, camellias and annuals. Mom may be tempted to get up close and smell the intoxicatingly sweet roses, but be careful not to disturb the bees nestled deep in the buds. After you wander through the roses, visit the Tournament House – headquarters of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association – and formerly owned by chewing-gum giant William Wrigley, Jr. The Italian Renaissance-style mansion retains much of its original splendor, with marble staircases and fine wood paneling. You can even score a free public tour on many days.
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No better time to stop and smell the roses. (Photo: TripAdvisor)
7. The Rhododendron Deli in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. San Francisco is bursting with gardens, but Rhododendron Dell in Golden Gate Park is a local favorite — especially when the pastel blossoms burst open in the spring. The San Francisco Botanical Garden, located nearby, is also beautiful. It offers a 55-acre urban oasis of open spaces, featuring landscaped gardens that showcase over 8,000 different kinds of plants from around the world.
The beautiful rhododendrons in Golden Gate Park. (Photo: B G/Flickr)
If these public gardens appeal to you — or, more likely, there aren’t any close to you — don’t worry! You can also find the perfect private garden on the Garden Conservancy website. They list more than 400 gardens in 26 states, so you will likely find one nearby that your mom will, well, dig. Happy Mother’s Day!
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