Romantic Gardens of Savannah and Charleston!

A trip to the southern historic districts of Charleston and Savannah is incomplete without visiting some of the oldest and most romantic gardens. During my trip to these two cities, some of the famous parks and gardens were in the top of my list of things to do. I was there for a short period of time and could visit three famous landmarks.

Forsyth Park is situated in the heart of the little city, Savannah is known for its fountain which was built in 1858 and resembles the fountains in Peru and Paris. The sight of the beautiful Spanish Moss hanging from the huge trees is just splendid. I visited the park in the middle of December and it was still so pleasant and warm to stroll around the park. The people were very friendly and the overall vibe of the park was lovely.

The oldest public garden of America, Magnolia Plantation and Garden in Charleston is one of the most romantic gardens I have ever been to. It is a huge garden with romantic bridges, giant trees with Spanish Moss and swamp lands. There are different trails that one could take to explore the garden. I loved walking on the white bridge and the swamp plantation around it.

Middleton Place is a land based plantation that overlooks the river and stands right next to the Magnolia plantation. There are horse carriage rides that takes tourists around the garden and provides brief history of these old garden. The best time to visit these gardens is spring and fall. I always try and fit in nature in one form or other into my trips because I have a special inclination towards mother nature. Is there anything you feel about strongly and manage to include in all your trips? Do share. I would love to read.

My lovely little Garden :)

I have always loved gardening since my childhood. I adore flowers and greenery more than anything else. Now that the sun is out and the weather is warm, the perennial plants in my pots are starting to grow. My little garden has both annual and perennial flowers. I usually plant some new annual flower plants every year to have a mix of different colors. I combine creepers and flowers in a pot together as they flawlessly complement each other. The creepers make their way up the railings and look perfect as a backdrop to the lovely flowers.

I also have fondness for indoor plants that help purify the indoor air. English Ivy, Boston Fern, Golden Pothos and Peace lily are some of the plants that help in filtering and cleaning the indoor air. I have all of these plants sitting either in my bedroom or living room. The best part of the indoor plants is that they need very little care. I also happen to have the “Tulsi” plant which is a symbol of Goddess in India and possesses great medicinal qualities. Here is a recap of the pictures from past three years that I have enjoyed gardening and I look forward to enjoy more of it in the coming years.

After all life is all about finding out one’s passion and enjoying it to the fullest. What are your passion and hobbies ? I would love to know 🙂

Year 2013

Year 2014

Year 2015

Spring Getaway to the Japanese Tea Garden, Rockford Illinois!

Spring is finally here and it feels so wonderful to be out in the sun under clear skies. Over the weekend, we decided to treat ourselves with the bliss of the beautiful season and headed towards the Japanese Anderson Garden in Rockford, Illinois. The Japanese Anderson garden is rated as one of the finest tea gardens in North America. We were fortunate to visit the garden on the opening day for this season which also happened to be Children’s day in Japan.  It was great to watch the Japanese performers play the Koto stringed instruments, Taiko Drum and dance to the beats of their authentic music right in the heart of the spectacular garden.

Flowers

Japanese Performance

Bridges

We spent the day leisurely walking through the scenic waterfalls and koi ponds, climbing through the rocks into the bridges over the streams of running water. We wandered for about 3 hours in the garden taking photo breaks every now and then. There were gravel pathways and picturesque flowers through out the garden. I really enjoyed watching the colorful large fishes swim by in the koi pond fearlessly with the huge ducks. The perfect weather after such a long time made it even more enjoyable.

The best time to visit the garden is Spring and Fall. I was lucky to visit it during the spring and definitely plan to return back and check out the lovely colors of fall. All in all, it was a very peaceful and relaxing getaway from the everyday city life and I will recommend it to all the nature lovers. Have you ever been to the any of the Japanese tea gardens yet? If yes which one and if no, is there one in your list that you want to visit?

Waterfall

Red Bud

Double Rock Rose

Fishes in the koi pond

Stream of water

Amsterdam, My first city in Europe as a traveler!

My first European city as a traveler, Amsterdam will always be a remarkable venture for me. Both intimidated and excited at the same time, I landed in the city to begin my incredible journey. To my surprise, it was just so easy to embrace the culture and uniqueness of the city. I was overwhelmed with the warmth of the friendly and fun-loving people in Amsterdam. The canal, cruises, bicycles and coffee shops, there is just so much that sets this extra ordinary city class apart from the others.

The most popular means of commute in Amsterdam is biking. Myriads of people can be seen biking through the city in the bike lane. Renting a bike to explore the city and experience the culture at the same time is definitely a great idea. Since all the landmarks in the city such as the Rijksmuseum, Dam Square, Central Station are so close to each other, it is not even tiring to bike around the city. Personally I love to walk and explore, that way I don’t have to care about the bike’s safety, but biking is fun too.

Holland is famous for its bulb flowers, particularly the tulips. One of things that was always in my bucket list was to visit the tulip garden fields in Holland. I finally got to see the Keukenhof garden which is the second largest tulip garden in the world. The striking colors of the tulips, orchids and lilies planted and arranged creatively in different patterns was really a breathtaking view. The garden is open for three months from March to May and I was lucky to be in Holland during the spring season.

Lilies

Orchids

Flower Show

Fresh Flowers

Tulips

Outdoor Garden

Amsterdam is known for its elite night life across the world. Leidseplein is the neighborhood in the city known for live entertainment, music, bars, restaurants and casinos. We really enjoyed the delicious street food there. Every evening, we would wander in different streets to experiment new smoky appetizing cuisines. One that I enjoyed the most was Turkish cuisine Donor Kebabs which is halal chicken stuffed in pita wraps which was inexpensive yet so delicious.

In short, Amsterdam is a spectacular and friendly city with delicious food, rich history and great night life. What’s your first European city as a traveler?

I am sterdam

Canals and bikes

I am Amsterdam

Dam Square

Biking