The Hamilton Children’s Garden at the Quail Botanical Gardens is a magical place for young and old. In the spirit of those creepy 1980s ads for sugar cereal, the grown-up in me marveled at the design and engineering, the kid in me wanted to explore the tree house and float things down the stream. Here is a labor of love from a team of designers, botanists, and builders that Toddler Harbat and I enjoyed this weekend as we explored the tunnels through roots, spiral staircase, rope bridges, and lookout decks.
But there’s much more to this garden. I could explain it all, the masterful integration of accessible paths and stairs meaning you can push grandma in her wheelchair and let the kids race up the stairs and nobody feels left out. I could point out the landscape that’s already filled out and makes the area feel in the landscape and not on it. I could…but how about some pictures.
We spent the morning at this magical place playing and exploring, and I was reminded that being a kid is sometimes more a state of mind than a tally of years.
Writer, architect, father, husband.
What an awesome place–especially with Mary Mary Quite Contrary–How Does Her Garden Grow? Although, she’s really not quite contrary–just happy and loving the experience.