Mother’s Day Ideas & Reflections

Where does the time go?

Nine years ago, I started bringing my family to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on Mother’s Day, several years before beginning work in Ginter’s education department. My best friend and I were new moms and we wanted to spend our first Mother’s Day in the Garden enjoying the concert with Glennroy Bailey and Company, her father’s band. Having spent every Mother’s Day at Lewis Ginter since that first date, I was feeling a little nostalgic this year as I watched our girls, now 9 years old, enjoying one of their favorite days of the year. It struck me how our larger “Mother’s Day at the Garden” tradition now encompasses many smaller traditions and themes. Some traditions are unplanned and occur naturally while others have become a yearly request from our kids (or the moms).

The photos illustrate this story best, showing how our favorite moments from past years were reflected during this year’s Mother’s Day Weekend visit.

Hugs, hugs and more hugs… I think the expressions on the girls’ faces say it all about how much they love spending time together at the Garden on Mother’s Day!

Sweet and tender moments… I remember walking up the Main Garden Walk and turning around to see the girls (age 2) holding hands as they walked along behind us. This year, they went up to meet the band after the concert and I captured this sweet moment.

Concert memories… Listening to the music, dancing and watching “Pop Pop’s Band” are favorite activities for the kids. When they were little, the girls spent most of the afternoon on the dance floor, dancing together, doing ballet and executing some unusual upside-down dance moves. Now that they are older, they just watch and listen while the boys boogie away.

Kids in trees… According to our children, a visit to the Garden wouldn’t be complete without some tree climbing the mulberry tree in the Children’s Garden (even when dressed up for Mother’s Day). This year, my little guy was able to join in the fun!

A favorite flower… One of the most wonderful aspects of the Grace Arents Garden in May is the abundance of beautiful, fragrant peonies. The girls say that it’s their tradition to smell the peonies every year on Mother’s Day.

If you want to start your own Mother’s Day Garden traditions or need help finding Mother’s Day ideas of fun things to do with your family, consider visiting Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.  Mother’s Day weekend Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a fun-filled day of music, flowers and special memories.

Family… Our Mother’s Day at the Garden wouldn’t be complete without a photo of the two of us with our children.

Did you get some good Mother’s Day ideas?  We hope to see you next year! But with Father’s Day just around the corner, maybe you’d like to join us to even sooner to celebrate dad.  For Father’s Day Weekend we’ll have plenty of blooms, plus crafts for kids and dad too.  Garden admission also includes Wild Art: A Journey Off-Canvas and our Butterflies LIVE! exhibit, not to mention WaterPlay!  Sunday only enjoy live music from the Jangling Reinharts at Bloemendaal House and a boat display, courtesy of Southeastern Marine.