The BBG is a fantastic place to visit in Winter. You can shed those Winter coats and spend hours wandering the warm indoor greenery. With three thematically controlled greenhouses, the bonsai museum, the aquatic house and orchid collection, a cafe and two gift shops there is plenty to do ‘inside’ at the Gardens. The best part is that all through Winter, weekday entry is free so anyone can go. Cam had the day off from work so to my delight we visited the Garden as a Family. When we left home for the Gardens the temperature outside was -5˚C and so we really enjoyed the warmth of the Greenhouses. It was so refreshing to be surrounded by the colour green, so easily we were transported. In order, we went to the tropical pavilion, then the dessert pavilion and then the warm temperate pavilion. The Girls loved running around the paths, climbing stairs and rocks and exploring the foliage. Maya was beside herself with all the blooming flowers. It was so lovely to feel the moisture in the air in the tropical and warm temperate pavilions. It came to no surprise when we found ourselves most at home in the warm temperate greenhouse..surrounded by the sub-tropical flowers, greenery and fragrance Cam and I grew up with…

After two hours inside the greenhouses we went out into the greater gardens to re-visit the Patrick Dougherty sculpture. The Girls and I had explored it in the Summer, but Cam had yet to experience one of Dougherty’s amazing works of art. It was great to see the Installation surrounded by snow. The Sculpture looked beautifully at home in the barren winter white, the dry woven stick hut seemed like a shelter for the gnomes in a winter wonderland.