Today has been a very gloomy, rainy day in the Twin Cities. I decided to find inspiration in more happy places which brought me back to my vacation to Galena, IL. I mentioned my love of historical towns but never shared any information on the amazing garden tour I went on. My boyfriend and I went to Linmar Gardens for a romantic tour through the garden followed by a picnic, which included an amazing French version of a tuna salad sandwich. More on that later.
It was the perfect August day for a garden tour, which was odd for Galena. We were told that the whole summer had been rainy except for the days we vacationed there. How lucky! As we were waiting for the tour to begin, a cat came up to greet us. The tour guide explained that the cat, Sally, lived somewhere else but had “adopted” them. She would come by the garden immediately before both tours, each an hour apart, and would walk the garden with the touring group. Then she would leave. Every day this happened! What a great story to start off the tour with.
As we started the tour with Sally following us around, I realized that I love gardens that include unexpected items. This garden had a lot to offer besides the normal flowers and greenery. They had a good amount of water features and other fun elements that made the garden even more beautiful.
The most interesting part of the garden was this little hidden “room” which was created from the remains of what I believe was the first African American church in the region. It was lower than the rest of the garden, which made it a whole other place. It was incredibly serene.
The other unique elements that I loved were the sculptures.
This owl was one of my favorite parts of the garden. I thought it was so clever to build it into the wall! I almost walked right past it. That’s what I love about these kinds of gardens – there are tons of little details that keep you coming back because noticing them is so much fun.
And, of course, what’s a garden without the plants?
I was fascinated by this mulberry tree. I don’t know what I loved exactly, but I kept telling my boyfriend, “Take a picture of that! I want one just like it one day!” He was the photographer for me that day, and I kept making him take pictures, not just because it was a beautiful place, but because I wanted to start a folder for future gardening purposes. This tree definitely made the file! The house in the background is historic too, but we didn’t get to tour it or anything. :(
I’m already feeling a little less grumpy after sharing all of these photos. What do you do to cheer yourself up on a gloomy day, or are you one of those people I envy who actually like rainy weather?
This post is a part of Hooked on Fridays over at Hooked On Houses and Beautiful Life Friday at The Inspired Room.
Hello, welcome to my cozy abode in the blogosphere. My name is Sarah, and I am the dreamer behind Dream In Domestic. This blog is a collection
of everything I love: food, decor, saving money, God, and the simple things in life. I am a twenty year old college student who is drawn to all things domestic. I hope you stick around and find something you like. Thanks for stopping by!
