Airlie Gardens

Even though it was a yucky dreary Sunday there is nothing I love more than getting something for free. Today was local resident free day at Airlie Gardens. Airlie is a 67 acre collection of gardens along Bradley Creek near the Intercoastal Waterway here in town. So I decided that it would be a good way to get my walking in and interesting enough that I could convince hubby and little one to join me. There is only so many laps around the neighborhood park that they are willing to go on before they get bored and start thinking of excuses not to join me.

Because of the weather we pretty much had the entire place to ourselves. It was just us and the geese.

It was all I could do to get her to hold still for a picture she really was way more interested in the geese but I had to get a picture of all the daffodils. It is so unusual for them to be blooming at this time of year. They are blooming about a month early this year. Love them!



One of the more interesting things at the garden is The Bottle Chapel, it is made with over 4,000 bottles.

A few of the bottles had water trapped in them. This one looked like it was intentionally filled and them cemented into place, although my mother who on occasion works at the garden told me that when it was built all the bottles were indeed completely empty.

Mrs Butterworth, LOL!

Little one is just big enough to hide my HUGE pregnant belly, so I agreed to let hubby take one quick photo.

There was a trellis made out of these beautiful butterflies, I told hubby that I would like one of these in the garden of the next house.

I also really loved this fountain.

Adventuring.

Watching flower petals float in the water as she threw them in one by one.

Another flower that normally doesn't bloom here this early that we were surprised to see was this pretty azalea. Airlie has a collection of 100,000 azalea and lots of them looked like they were covered in buds and almost ready to bloom. It will be interesting to see if this mild winter continues, it would be sad if a long cold snap ruins the blooms.



By the time we made it around the garden it had really turned gross out. The temperature had dropped and it was really starting to get misty. Little one asked if we could go back when it was warm and sunny, so I guess she was interested enough to see more.  If this spring like weather continues I wouldn't mind going back myself just to see the azaleas in full bloom which I'm sure is spectacular. Maybe even worth paying to get in! :)