I grew up on the westside of Chicago...a concrete jungle of sorts. The basketball hoops had no nets; the swing sets had no swings; and if you did a 360 turn you would see more concrete than you would trees or flowers.



Where I come from...there weren't many flowers. With the expection of my grandmother, who took the time to plant a few beauties in her garden. along with tomatoes and herbs. Other than that, there were no flowers that I saw growing...only weeds growing between the cracks in the concrete....so when I got older and began to venture out into the world on my own, I discovered many other things that this world had to offer, and nature happens to be one of them.



I had a chance to visit the Chicago Botanical Gardens, and here's a small part of what I thought:

Breathtakingly...beautiful. Those are the only words that come to mind when describing the Chicago Botanic Gardens.



The experience there is so serene. Walking through the gardens, taking in all of the beauty allowed me to take in nature in a way that I hadn't experience before.



There are over 350 acres of land with 23 displays that change with the seasons. Waterways and walkways enhance the experience there. There are opportunities to shop, dine, and relax at cafe while you are there. I would recommend it to someone visit. It's been a few years since I've been, but I'm confident that its still perfect.



When I had the opportunity to visit the gardens, it opened me up to a new appreciation to the beauty of flowers and plants. I still can't properly take care of them on my own, but I have a heartfelt appreciation for the beauty of nature.