A visit to the Cleveland Botanical Garden

You know I love seeing other gardens, but this one is special for me. I grew up near Cleveland and I can remember going down to the old Garden Center of Greater Cleveland with my mother in the 1980's down in University Circle. It was a cold day at the end of the winter and the crocus were exploding with color and I discovered something I'd never seen before, species tulips. The small luminescent blooms were remarkable and we both commented on their extraordinary colors.

I grow lots of species tulips now, and when they bloom I think of that day standing in the cold with my mother enjoying something we both loved.

I took a busload of Pittsburghers gardeners to the new Cleveland Botanical Garden. There are a few gardens left from the old garden, but everything else has been redone and it's marvelous. Take a day trip there and leave three or four hours to examine the garden. But don't just look at the gardens and glasshouse, the library is spectacular, filled with old and new books alike.

The Cleveland Botanical Garden is a special place for me; you might feel the same way after a visit.