It's ColorFall at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens

Autumn in the Cleveland Botanical Garden is ColorFall and we spent the day exploring the Hershey Garden searching for scarecrows and enjoying the cool, beautiful day.

Can you guess where in #Cleveland we are spending the afternoon? #thisiscle #clevelandgram #nofilter #fall

A photo posted by Mary Johnson (@mryjhnsn) on Oct 10, 2014 at 11:19am PDT

GLOW at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens

We were provided complimentary admission to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. 

One of our new holiday traditions is GLOW at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens and it is in its last week.

Last year, the kids and I got a sneak peek as well as as an opportunity to judge the gingerbread house competition. This year we waited till after Christmas to go and it was incredible!

Amazing gingerbread house displays and Christmas trees from local garden clubs, the kids and I did not miss out on the fun but instead it felt like we extended the Christmas cheer.

GLOW is only open until January 5, 2014 (closed Monday and New Year's Day) and you don't want to miss out on this wonderful winter exhibit.

Post by Mary Johnson.

Street Pianos

I adore these little guys in the spiny desert of Madagascar.  

Think "Big Spring" at @CBGardens

The kids and I went courtesy of the Botanical Gardens. We did not received any other compensation. 

Hello Spring!  Hello Cleveland Botanical Gardens!

I can not tell you how sad this so called spring has been for me since it has snowed so much!  And, than like a ray of hope, the kids and I were invited to experience Big Spring at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.  I swear the clouds parted as I read of all the cool things to do, see and smell (it is the botanical garden after all).

I hate to admit this but - GLOW this past winter was the first time I had ever been to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.  I have no idea why because this is just an amazing place and if their summer exhibits are anything like Big Spring I may buy a family membership.

I could go on and on about the maze for the kids, the larger than life flowers, the meal worm races but, I would rather just show you!

The Ladybug Labyrinth where the kids find there way through, learn about lady bugs and listen to birds.

The kids spent more time in the maze than I thought was possible.

Figuring their way through.

Tea time in the Mad Hatter's gazebo.

Life size chess anyone?

The kids and I with Polly the bee.

My son is on the right, also dressed as a bee.

The girls dressed as butterflies performing on the toadstool stage

About the Cleveland Botanical Garden's Big Spring

from the website...

Alice's wonderland was "curioser and curioser!"

At Cleveland Botanical Garden, we think we know what Alice meant. Humongous ladybugs, giant flowers and enormous garden tools -- these are some of the curious and wonderful things awaiting you at Big Spring, Cleveland’s super-sized, all-new indoor and outdoor springtime celebration.
30,000 brilliant flowers and their sweet scents awaken your senses from a winter slumber, both indoors and out. Here in this larger-than-life setting, choosing what to do first is a kid’s only conundrum. Rain or shine, kids may:

• Join an imaginative tea party in an enchanting woodland garden 
• Explore a fanciful indoor garden hedge maze
• Dress up as bugs and strut their stuff at the Toadstool Theatre
• Enjoy the outdoors outdoors, where new activities abound, including the endless delights of Hershey Children’s Garden

This spring, go from housebound to spellbound in one giant step.
Big Spring is bound to make your spring more fun. And this year, spring is making it big!

This year, spring is bigger than ever

Hours March 23 - April 28 Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays 10am - 5pm Wednesdays & Fridays 10am - 9pm Sundays 12 - 5pm

Tickets $12/non-member adult $8/non-member child (3 - 12) Free for children under 3 Free for Garden members BUY TICKETS

Cleveland Botanical (@CBGarden) Garden's Glow is Open for this Christmas Season!

me hard at work

The day before Thanksgiving the kids and I had a unique opportunity - we got a behind the scenes peek at Glow at the Garden and I got to be a guest judge for the Cleveland Botanical Gardens' gingerbread house competition. Well, maybe I had the unique opportunity and they came along for a cool outing. 

There are 26 entries in the gingerbread house competition this year and each and every one of them had something special and amazing about them.  The Christmas Story house was one of my seven year old's favorites as was the ski lodge with the "cold" tub.  He also loved one of the Rock Halls because a gingerbread man was drowning in the lake.  As for Baby girl, she really loved the police station for some reason.  All of the pictures, above, were taken by the kids between my camera and smartphone while I was busy judging.  (click on the photos to see the details)

The hard working "elves" of the Cleveland Botanical Gardens brought the very best things of Christmas and put them on display in a spectacular way in this year's winter show. There are gingerbread houses, both to look at and make, train rides, a place for kids to shop, live music and of course decorated Christmas trees from garden clubs all over North East Ohio. 

More from the website... 

• Hop aboard the Garden Express for a magical train ride
• Take a family photo in front of our two-story tree bedecked with live poinsettias.
• Visit a lively town square filled with musicians and carolers.
• Decorate your very own gingerbread house with our full array of sweet treats.
• Let the kids pick out gifts for everyone at the charmingly kid-sized Treetop Shop.
• Grown-ups can do their shopping at The Garden Store.
• Leave your own wish on the Wishing Tree.
• Delight at the creative trees decorated by Affiliate Garden Clubs.
•  Marvel at the amazingly whimsical gingerbread houses.
• Take the family skating on real ice at The Rink at Wade Oval.
There are many more surprises awaiting you at Glow, and we can’t give them all away here.

This is certainly the coolest things I've done in awhile and certainly since I started blogging.  The downside of going before everyone else though is the kids will not stop asking to go back to see it.  Every five minutes, when are we going? are there really a bazillion lights? and I want to ride the train.  Baby was even crying in her sleep that she wanted to ride the train.

Yes, they are excited and to be honest, so am I, especially to see it at night.  I'm not sure if I heard this correctly but I am pretty sure I heard something about 100,000 lights through the gardens.  That certainly explains the title of this exhibit.  Personally, I am looking forward to going back on a Wednesday night for Ladies night and my Glowtini cocktail and shopping in the gift shop. 

The exhibit is open now until December 31.  Hope to see you there!

Glow at the Garden

Making Your Holidays Bright

Glow Hours November 23  - December 31 Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays · 10am - 5pm Evening Hours Wednesdays & Fridays* · 10am - 9pm Sundays · Noon - 5pm Christmas Eve & New Year's Eve · 10am - 3pm *Except Friday, December 7

Glow Tickets $12/non-member adult $6.50/non-member child FREE for Garden members BUY TICKETS ONLINE

New Post!Cleveland Botanical (@cbgarden) Garden's #Glow is Open for this #Christmas Season! goo.gl/fb/JjSKm

— MryJhnsn (@mryjhnsn) November 23, 2012

Fine print -The family and I will be going to see the exhibit at a future date complimentary.  I have not received any compensation for this post or judging and my opinions are 100% my own.