Meadowlark Botanical Gardens - Captivating views

In late afternoon on the last, very full, day of the 2017 Garden Bloggers' Fling, we arrived at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.  We were scheduled to attend a dinner in the garden's Atrium at 6pm, which left us with relatively little time to tour the property's 95 acres.  Susie of pbmGarden and I practically sprinted in the direction of a scenic overlook that stood atop a spiral mound in the distance (point 14 on the map found here), admiring some flowers along the way.

This long bed, bordering a wide section of lawn, was dominated by plants favored by pollinators

Echinacea purpurea, Daucus carota and other plants I won't try to identify

Inula helenium maybe?

A little further along the path, we found a large collection of beautiful daylilies.  All the Hemerocallis seemed to be at their peak in the Capital Region during the Fling.

This rustic pergola marked the scenic overlook at the top of a spiral path leading up a lawn-covered mound

The spectacular views from the top of the mound and back down at its base are what I remember most clearly about my visit to Meadowlark.

This gazebo stood at the end of a wooden boardwalk extending into one of the lakes

Facing in another direction, I could see across 2 lakes, surrounded by more rolling lawn

Back down on the main path, we skirted around the lakes, briefly stopping to snap a few photos of what I think was the Toddler's Tea Garden.

However, it was absent of toddlers when we passed by

Along the edges of one of the lakes, we found lotus in bloom.

You can find lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) in Southern California but they're not common.  The sight of them always takes my breath away.

I was enamored with the geese we saw on the lake and at its edges but, based on the comments I heard from those around me, I think I may have been the only one in the vicinity who liked them.

My impression was that many of the locals held views of Canada geese similar to those held of the wild peacocks in my own community, where the birds are loved by some but despised by many

My favorite vista was one looking back across the lake toward the lotus.

The sky, trees and even people on the lake's shoreline are neatly mirrored in the lake's surface.  I'm tagging this as my Wednesday Vignette this week.  For other WVs, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.

Having little time left, Susie and I headed back in the general direction of the Atrium, stopping for a quick spin through the Korean Bell Garden.

Clockwise from the lower left: the entrance to this garden, one of the decorated walls surrounding it, the view from the structure within which the bell stands, and the Bell of Peace and Harmony itself.  (You can find a better view of the bell here.)

We enjoyed a great dinner.  I even won a bottle of wine (based only on discovery of a ticket taped to the bottom of the chair I'd selected), which I asked the catering staff to open so my table companions could share it.  I've no photos of the wine or the wonderful dinner but suffice it to say that it was a great way to end the Fling.

I've covered just a portion of the venues we visited during the course of the Fling.  I'll pick up others now and then but I thought I'd take this opportunity to formally thank Tammy Schmitt, the Director of the Capital Region Fling; the rest of her team, Michele Shaw, Wendy Kremer, Teri Speight, and Peggy Riccio; all the gardeners who generously opened their spaces; and the sponsors.  Well done all!


All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party