The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, at 1800 Lakeside Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23228, covers over 40 acres of flower gardens, walking and birding trails, trees, shrubs, and perennials, as well as an extensive children's garden and play area. However, on a cold, winter day, the glass-enclosed Conservatory is the place to be. The tropics come to life in this 11,000 square foot "jewelry box" of a building, home to tropical plants such as ponytail palms, flamingo flowers, kangaroo ferns, and a large orchid collection.
Two wings contain changing, themed displays of seasonal flowers and decorations. Tulips, daisies, and daffodils surround an adorable thatched roof house that invites visitors to peek in the window in the hope of glimpsing an elusive lop ear or cottontail inhabitant….be it Peter Cottontail, the White Rabbit, or even Mr. Easter Bunny himself. Stone statues of rabbits and mischievous mice are scattered throughout this cottage garden setting.
The Lora M. Robins Library is filled with over 7000 books, catalogs, and magazines on all aspects of gardening and the natural world - horticulture, botany, garden design, flower arranging, and conservation. The children's section contains titles on gardening, crafts, and natural history. Sit in the reading room, complete with a fireplace, and plan the perfect spring or summer garden.
Poet and philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero once said, "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." Even in the chill of winter, Lewis Ginter seems to have it all.
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