It has been 147 years since its creator, Henry Shaw, realized his dream of providing the people of St. Louis with the Missouri Botanical Garden. Today, this world-class public garden covers 79 acres and is considered to be one of the top 3 botanical gardens in the world.

Shaw came to St. Louis from England in 1819 to open a hardware and cutlery business. As his fortunes grew, so did his interests, and in 1851, he started development of a 10-acre site not far from his country home with the intention of giving back to the city of St. Louis a garden worthy of the great garden estates of Europe.

This was my second visit to St. Louis, the first having been in the winter, and this time, everything was in bloom and awash with color. There are over 4,000 trees on the grounds as well as a vast variety of displays such as the 14-acre Japanese Garden and the Chinese, English, German, and Victorian Gardens. There is even a biblical garden that features 110 of the plants mentioned in the Bible such as sorghum, henna, grapes, and wheat.

This is a place that takes time to explore and begs you not to rush. Here is where you literally want to stop and smell the roses as well as many of the other fragrant aromas that waft through the air. Flowers and trees are not the only things you will find here. Statues, lily ponds and gazebos grace the landscape along with secluded benches providing shady places for reflective thought.

In 2004, a nineteenth century themed children’s garden, A Missouri Adventure, opened. This includes every type of eco-system found in the state: wetland, savannah, prairie, woodland, swamp, pond, river, and cave. There is also a tree house; a Tot Lot, where children can plant vegetables in the sand; and a secret garden. The entire area complies with all safety standards and is wheelchair accessible.

One of the highlights of my visit was the Dale Chihuly Glass in the Garden exhibition on display through October 21, 2006. Chihuly is a world-renowned blown glass artist whose works have been shown in over 200 museums worldwide. I first saw his colorful creations on the ceiling of the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas many years ago.

Upon entering the main garden entrance, one of Chihuly’s pieces, a 20-foot blue suspended chandelier, immediately grabbed my attention. Many of his other works were positioned throughout the garden landscape. Multi-hued Walla Wall Onions can be seen gently floating on three reflecting pools and the gigantic Polyvitro Crystals seem to rise atop the Latzer Fountain on Spoehrer Plaza.

Of the 30 Chihuly installations, many can be found inside the Climatron® conservatory, the first geodesic dome to be used as a greenhouse. This indoor lush rainforest underwent a 6 million dollar restoration in 1990 and features tropical birds, waterfalls and 2,800 rare plants that include an endangered double coconut tree from the Seychelles Islands, orchids and ferns. Walking through this tropical foliage made me wonder if this is how Eden must have looked. Green, blue and red glass Chihuly sculptures have been strategically placed among the plants in the Climatron® and offer a unique way to see art combined with nature.

The mission of the Missouri Botanical Garden is to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life. After a decade and a half, Henry Shaw would have been proud to see how this statement has become a reality and his garden has earned a place on the National Historic Landmark list.

While the gardens are one of the main attractions in St. Louis, there are many others that offer diversions for old and young alike. The City Museum, located in the downtown area that is being restored and renovated, has some of the most unusual exhibits such as a winding, multi-elevation human habit trail; and Art City, where you can create your own art or watch professional artists at work. The St. Louis Arch; Bush Stadium, where you can catch a game with the Cardinals; and indoor and outdoor theater plays are some of the other things to do and see in St. Louis.

If your travel plans bring you to the Botanical Gardens, be sure to bring your camera as this is a prime destination for some great photos. I left with my digital disc full as well as a renewed sense of the splendor and awe that only nature, in all its glory, can provide.