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Showing posts with label Explore St. Louis. Show all posts

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Missouri Botanical Gardens in the Winter

Explore Missouri Botanical Gardens

In St. Louis we have a beautiful botanical garden that has been in continuous operation since 1859. It was founded by Henry Shaw and is one of the few gardens to achieve National Historic Landmark status. I have spent many hours visiting the garden during the spring, summer, and fall times, but until this year, I had not visited it in the winter. What a delightful experience! In February my son and his family were visiting us from New Hampshire, and I took my daughter-in-law and two granddaughters to visit the gardens. We had a wonderful time.

Orchid Show

I had often seen photos of the annual orchid show but had never been to the garden to see it. This show is held in February when the more than 5000 individual plants are moved from the greenhouses to the Emerson Conservatory. The botanical garden has over 700 unique kinds of orchids, which are cared for year-round by the horticulture staff. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the orchid show.

Growing Orchids at Home

In the brochure we received at the orchid show there is a section that talks about how easy orchids are to grow at home under the right conditions. Here some key points.

Potting medium - many orchids grow best when their roots are exposed to the air. There are mixes for the pot that help with this aeration.
Temperature- most orchids are comfortable at room temperature- 60-80 F
Humidity- 40-70% is ideal, this can be achieved by placing pots on a gravel-lined try filled with water.
Light- Orchids like a sunny room or artificial lights. If leaves turn yellow or lanky they need more light.
Water- Make sure potting mix nearly dries out before watering again.

I found this book on Amazon that helps you in growing orchids.

No Stress Orchid Gardening for Beginners

Chinese Garden

It was a beautiful day out, so after visiting the orchid show I took my granddaughters and daughter-in-law to some of my favorite spots in the garden. There were not any flowers blooming at this time of the year but the beauty of the sculptures and structures around the park made for a delightful visit.

Our first stop was at the Chinese Garden, this garden was designed by Chinese born architect Yong Pan. It is modeled after "scholars gardens" in the southern provinces of China.

Here are some of the photos I took of my granddaughters exploring the garden.

Japanese Garden

A favorite place of mine to explore at the gardens is the Japanese Garden. I wanted to show this to my granddaughters, so we took a stroll to the garden and walked around the lake to experience all of the sculptures and features of the Japanese Garden. This 14-acre garden is called Seiw-en and was dedicated in 1977. I have photographed it often through the years. Here are some of my photos.

The Garden through the Years

I have taken photography classes at the garden and have enjoyed my visits through the years. Here are some other reviews I have written on the garden.

Japanese Garden

Missouri Botanical Garden

Origami in the Garden

Garden Photography Tips

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Thursday, July 25, 2024

Japanese Garden-Missouri Botanical Garden

When I visit the Missouri Botanical Gardens, the area I always gravitate to is the Japanese Gardens. In this post, I will be reviewing my last visit to the gardens and sharing the photos that I took of this beautiful, serene garden. The scene above shows the Japanese Bridge as it goes over to Teahouse Island. It is what you see as you enter the path the goes around the lake in the garden.

The garden at St. Louis is considered to be the largest Japanese strolling garden in the country. It covers 14 acres in the Missouri Botanical Garden.

My Visit to the Japanese Garden

I visited the garden on a beautiful day in early July. My sister and I took the tram from the entrance of the botanical garden and got off on the stop for the Japanese Garden. From there we took the path to stroll around the large lake and enjoy the serenity of the afternoon. I stopped to photograph many of the historic lanterns that were found around the path. One near the entrance was from the World's Fair in St. Louis in 1904. It is the first one in the photos below. Others were gifts from various cities in Japan. You can find out more about them at the link I list at the bottom of the page. Here are a few photos of the different lanterns.

The lanterns were placed within the beauty of the garden and add to the peaceful setting.

The garden also has some wonderful waterfalls that give you a peaceful feeling. The one below is one that I have photographed often in the past. The foliage around it gives it different feels, depending on the time of year you visit.

An interesting feature of the garden is a bench in the shape of a flower. It is an Anemome and is the favorite flower of Courtney Bean Obeta, a St. Louis artist. It was designed in her memory.

Another interesting bridge is this crooked bridge that goes out into the water. It is a favorite for children (and adults) to walk.

I hope you have enjoyed my pictorial review of my visit to the Japanese Garden in St. Louis. To learn more here is an Amazon book you might like. https://amzn.to/4cscM3v .

I have written other reviews on the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Here are some links to my reviews.

https://www.reviewthisreviews.com/2023/10/review-of-missouri-botanical-garden.html

Review of Origami in the Garden (reviewthisreviews.com)

I invite you to read more about this beautiful garden at the Missouri Botanical website on the Japanese garden page. Japanese Garden

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Thursday, July 11, 2024

Review of The Riverlands

Just north of St. Louis, Missouri the Mississippi and Missouri rivers combine. This confluence is fun to see and on a warm summer day, I took a trip there with my granddaughters who were visiting from New Hampshire. The photo above shows a barge waiting on the Mississippi to get through the lock and dams.

The Riverlands

The Riverlands is a 3700 acre migratory bird sanctuary that is located in West Alton. This area is home to prairie land, wetland and forest habitats where both resident and migratory birds find refuge.

More than 300 different species of birds have been seen in this area. Many species make their homes there and other stop for feed and rest as the migrate down the "Mississippi River Flyway" spring and fall. It is said that over 60% of all North American migratory birds use this flyway.

The Riverlands is open to the public from sunrise to sunset each day. It is a fantastic place to observe and/or photograph birds. The area offers 8 miles of walking and hiking trails and also offers bicycle trails.

Audubon Center at the Riverlands

Our first stop when we entered the Riverlands was the Audubon Center. Here you can find lots of information and displays about both the birds and the Missouri and Mississippi confluence and how it affects the ecosystem. This center offers educational opportunities, as well as information on conservation. It has several platforms for public viewing and scopes that take you into the middle of the Mississippi flyway to observe migratory birds. The wall facing the Mississippi is made of glass and gives you a wonderful way to view birds all year round in all types of weather.

When we visited it was mid June, so of course there was not much to see in the way of migratory birds, but a very helpful volunteer took the girls out to the side of the center to tell them all about the "Purple Martins" that lived there. Here are a couple of photos.

The volunteer pointed out how the birds were feeding their babies. It was very interesting.

Confluence

The volunteers at the center suggested we drive up the road a bit and stop at the path that takes you to the confluence of the Missouri and the Mississippi rivers. We decided to do that and took the path which was about 1/3 of a mile long.

The Mississippi River is called the "Father of Waters". On it's path north from the Gulf of Mexico, it drains 32 US states and two Canadian Provinces.

The Missouri River is the longest river in the US. It starts in southwestern Montana where the Rocky Mountains are and then flows east and south for 241 miles before it enters the Mississippi just north of St. Louis.

Here is a photo I took of the confluence.

Story from our Visit

While we were there, we took photos on a platform that faced the two rivers. It was my brother and his wife, my two granddaughters and myself. After the photo my 15-year-old granddaughter, Kate, decided to take a closer look at the Mississippi and found herself stuck in mud almost to her knees. A nearby fisherman ended up pulling her out, but her shoes did not come with her. My brother took some big sticks and was able to get the shoes out, so we had Kate sit on a platform by the confluence and wash out her shoes.

It would be good if that was the end of the story, but you can see by this photo how muddy it was and when Kate finished washing her shoes, she put them back on and in two steps they had sunk in the mud again. This time my brother could not get them out, so Kate lost her shoes to the "Muddy Mississippi". She walked back to the car barefoot and we took bottles of water to try to get some of the mud off her feet. So now we have a story to tell from our adventure.

Here is a link to an Amazon Book if you'd like to learn more about the Mississippi. https://amzn.to/3RNqkyd

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Thursday, December 14, 2023

Celebrating the Christmas Season in St. Charles

Christmas on historic Main Street in St. Charles Missouri is always a wonderful way to spend some time. The shops are all decorated for the holidays, and it is very festive looking. On this post I will tell you about the festival that is the highlight of the holiday on Main Street and give you a photographic tour of the area with photos I took on a beautiful December morning.

Main Street Decked out for the Holidays.

Storefront with Merchandise Displayed on Sidewalk

The photo above shows one of the creative ways the storeowner uses his merchandise to add to the festive decorations.

Windows and Doorways

The decorating of store windows and entrances adds to the festival atmosphere.

Store Windows are Decorated with Merchandise

Christmas Traditions

Christmas Traditions is an annual festival held each year from Thanksgiving until Christmas. It is a very exciting time for young and old alike. Each Friday evening through Sunday evening you will find a host of storybook characters walking around Main Street. Characters like the Sugar Plum Fairy, Jack Frost and Santa's from many lands are all handing out trading cards. My granddaughters loved to try to collect all the cards when they were younger and came to visit.

At noon on Saturdays and Sundays all of the characters follow Santa and Mrs. Claus on a parade down Main Street, while children both young and old line the streets to watch. When not in the parade Santa can be found in the railroad station where you can get your photo taken with Santa.

Other traditions include carolers walking the streets and singing carols and vendors selling things like roasted chestnuts and hot Wassil.

Children can send a letter to Santa and drop it in the special mailbox.

Decorations Galore

Wreaths are found everywhere on buildings, windows and doorways.

This big tree and the red sleigh in front of it is a favorite place to stop and have take a photo of your group.

I hoped you enjoyed seeing one of the ways we celebrate the holidays in my area.

A few years ago, I wrote about Main Street St Charles with an emphasis on the history of the area. You can find it at this link. Photographing Christmas in Historic St. Charles.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Thursday, July 27, 2023

Photographing Wildflowers in Missouri

Purple Coneflower

I love wildflowers and, in the spring and summer, they are abundant in Missouri. It makes photographing them so very easy, I can find them in parks, along the sides of roads, on my neighborhood walks and even in my own yard. When I am planning to go out specifically to take photographs, I usually bring my Sony mirrorless camera along with a 55-200 zoom lens. It makes it easy to take pictures at a distance and also to zoom in for closer shots. When I am taking my dog for walks in the neighborhood, I always have my iPhone handy, and I find that it takes great shots of the wildflowers I find in the neighborhood and at our park.

The photo at the beginning of this article was taken at O'Day Park in O'Fallon, Missouri. It is a purple coneflower, that is very popular in my area in the summer months. It is one of my favorite wildflowers. I took my granddaughters to the park and brought along my Sony to capture the wildflowers that were in abundance.

O'Day Park Wildflowers

O'Day Park is a 57-acre park in O'Fallon that features a lodge, playground, camping and miles of paths and trails throughout the park. Near the playground area, I discovered a paved trail that had lots of beautiful wildflowers along the sides. They were in full bloom during our visit, and I was able to capture several different types of Missouri wildflowers. Here are some of my favorite shots.

Plains Coreopsis

Rough Blazing Star

Queen Anne's Lace

Purple Coneflower with Bee

Around the Neighborhood

The photos in this section were all taken on my walks in my neighborhood. They were all taken with my iPhone.

Trumpet Vine

Purple Coneflower and Golden Alexander

Lance Leaf Coreopsis

In My Yard

As I was looking at lists of Missouri wildflowers online, I noticed that many of the flowers in my flower beds are considered wildflowers. I know that all of them were started with a single clump given to me by and friend and all have spread like crazy. They make a colorful bordered on the side of my house.