An Afternoon at The Botanical Garden

By: Jamie Seitz

There's no better way to beat the cold than to visit a vibrant botanical garden — where every day feels like a tropical getaway!

Winter escape to the Des Moines Botanical Garden

On a particularly frigid winter day last year, my youngest daughter and I decided to spend a Sunday afternoon at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden’s geodesic domed conservatory. We each packed a book, a sketchpad, and some pretty markers and pens and set off for a few quiet hours soaking in the warm temperatures surrounded by flowers and foliage.

What a surprise when we got there! There happened to be a music concert that afternoon, so instead of a quiet day, we were now spending time with 50 new friends who obviously had a better idea of what was happening in our city than we did. Luckily, we snagged a table on the balcony while a bluegrass band set up below.

Explore a tropical oasis

While the band tuned up and patrons found seats around us, we settled into our books. The weather outside was hovering at 0 degrees F, but inside, the sunshine streamed through the glass dome. Condensation gathered on almost every surface, reminding me of the loamy aroma of wet soil after a summer rain. Colorful tropical flowers bloomed happily like they were in their homelands instead of Iowa in the middle of winter. Palms reached their leaves toward the sky, and I swear they were waving at me as if to say that summer or vacation was just around the corner. It was a lie, of course, but I appreciated the gesture.

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Bringing Back Memories

The burble of a stream drifted up to my ears between bluegrass tunes, reminding me of a fancy hotel I’d stayed in as a kid with a babbling brook running through the pool area. The nostalgia and the warm sun beating down on me through the window was the perfect combination to chase away the winter scaries.

But the color all around me, during a naturally bleak and grey season, made me almost emotional. Plants and flowers bring me joy any day, but the warmth, color and sounds around me were overwhelming in a good way.

I eventually pulled my notebook out just to try and capture some of the emotions that were flowing through me. It didn’t do it justice, but feeling inspired to be creative indoors at the Botanical Garden made me smile. It’s the same feeling I get when I garden in my backyard in all the other seasons.

The perfect winter afternoon

I’ve enjoyed the Des Moines Botanical Garden on my occasions before, but on this day, spending time with my daughter, feeling the humidity on the back of my neck, inhaling the scent of living tropical things, all with the background of perfect harmonized voices, violin and guitar made for a perfect day in an indoor oasis.

Strolling through the conservatory and finding a quiet spot to read is great, but Jamie totally bought herself a membership so she can dance, do yoga, walk, and listen to live music in DMBG’s indoor and outdoor gardens all year long. Check out your local public gardens for great programming near you!