Designing botanical gardens that appeal to kids is an art that has recently, well, blossomed. Whether set on single-acre plots, expansive formal estates, free-flowing meadows or in glass conservatories, many gardens now invite you to smell flowers, touch fuzzy leaves, feed fish and splash in fountains.
Spring is a great time to get reacquainted with the green outdoors, as tulips and azaleas provide the color you've craved all winter. Throughout the spring and summer, the Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Alabama abounds with new life and acres upon acres populated with little creatures for your children to discover.
THEODORE, ALABAMA
BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME:Critters and water are the major kid magnets at Bellingrath Gardens and Home, which was once a private estate outside Mobile. Hummingbirds and butterflies sip nectar in the butterfly garden. From the Bayou Boardwalk, you can see mullet, crabs, turtles and even the occasional alligator swimming in the water below. The 65 landscaped acres boast formal plantings, but wide lawns allow kids room to roam. Tulips, daffodils and a quarter-million azaleas make spring a spectacular time to visit. Garden admission is $9 for visitors ages 12 and up, $5.25 for kids ages five to 11, and free for ages four and under. Call 251-973-2217.
Joan Huyser-Honig is a freelance writer in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.
