Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens

[jkofferdahl]

I came to Charlotte for a long weekend so I could spend Fathers' Day with my daughters (they live here with their mother). Today we drove about 30 minutes south of town to Belmont, NC, to visit the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. Though Charlotte has been my home for most of my life, I'd never before visited.

Well, the first stop was the new Orchid Conservatory, which was absolutely wonderful. I can't even begin to remember everything we saw, though I tried to take pictures of all (I'll add them to my picture gallery when I get back to Atlanta). We then walked all through the gardens, which are spectacular. Of course, to me the best part was a nice afternoon with my girls, whom I see far too infrequently.

As a special, added bonus, my older daughter, "the College Girl", bought me an absolutely lovely Cattleya Summer Spot 'Carmela' at the Gardens. The plants is a really nice, vibrant, healthy one. It has but one flower on it now (again, a pic when I get back to GA), but several leads, so next year I can expect a nice blooming.