Tag: Full Moon Maple

Olbrich Gardens – Revisited

Visiting Olbrich Gardens has become a tradition for me and my friend from Indiana, every time we meet in Madison, Wisconsin.

An overview of Lake Monona in the distance, from the climbing tower in Olbrich Gardens.

This botanical garden has an indoor, tropical conservatory, 16 acres of gardens in the outdoor area, and an interesting gift shop. The admission is free if you stay outside, and that is where we always want to be! Some years, when we have visited Olbrich in late October, there has been snow on the ground, but even then, it’s a pleasant walk.

A stone pot with overflowing green grass and a wooden stick ball in the center makes for a beautiful visual display.

This year when we visited, there was no snow, an above normal temperature, and the sky was a beautiful blue with bright sunshine. Although it was later in the season, we did find a few lingering blooms before winter brings it to a halt. 

The sunlight on this pink rose blossom made it even more stunning.
A lone wild geranium bloom.
A sweet red rosebud.

A couple years ago we discovered an interesting tree called the Full Moon Maple. We enjoy its fringed leaves and the vibrant red/orange color it turns at this time of year…and we like the name!

Full Moon Maple. Photo October 2020
Frances and me near the Full Moon Maple. 2021

There is a permanent display with a kaleidoscope to look through onto a pot of colorful greens and flowers you can spin around. I always enjoy looking at the geometric patterns through a kaleidoscope, especially when focusing on plants at botanical gardens. I’ve seen these displays at other gardens. What a creative idea someone had.

The kaleidoscope focused on a pot of grasses and flowers.

The gardens are open to enjoy all year. There is a special event in December, “Holiday Express” that would be fun to go back and see…model trains, poinsettias and fresh greens. 

Four blooming red roses.

It’s an easy drive to Madison from Northfield, and Madison always feels welcoming and is easy to get around. It seems to have many interesting things to do and see, including many bike trails. We have more exploring to do!

Another trio of fall blooming crocuses. I saw these for the first time a couple weeks ago. It was interesting to see more in another place, never having seen them before this year.

But, it’s good to know we can revisit Olbrich Gardens to find respite, and a peaceful place to enjoy nature, every time.

Olbrich Gardens Revisited

Madison, Wisconsin is a great halfway point between my house in Northfield and my friend’s house in Indiana, and it meets our destination criteria of a body of water, gardens and thrift and/or antique stores so we have enjoyed several trips there.

Olbrich Gardens…showing off many beautiful planters.

We traditionally take our annual trip in the spring (ever since 1989), with an occasional trip halfway through the year if we can fit it into our schedules. We have met in many different locations around the country but Madison is convenient destination for us.

Along the trail on a beautiful fall day.

This year we planned a trip in May, but because of the pandemic we delayed it, until finally we decided to go… six months later. It was a tough decision, as are a lot of decisions around COVID these days. We decided on Madison because it’s easy to get to. We were careful where we went and we wore our masks.

The sun lighting up the trees!

When we meet in Madison, we always include a trip to Olbrich Botanical Gardens. The gardens are a must see. Spring, summer or fall, Olbrich Gardens is always a special place to wander the trails and enjoy nature’s beauty. 

The purple aster among the white birch is appealing to the eyes.

We had fun walking around the gardens with our masks…but not our facemasks. The first day together we found sparkly, purple eye masks, new and unopened, at a thrift store, so we each bought one to add a whimsical touch to our time together.

With mirth and laughter…

We decided Olbrich Gardens was the place to don our masks and find a photo op. So, when we arrived at the gardens off came our facemasks and on went our sparkly eye masks.

This framed print was hanging in an antique store and we liked the caption. It went with our whimsical mind-set.

Olbrich Gardens had a lot to offer at the end of October. There were still lovely flower arrangements and colorful trees to enjoy in their fall glory.

This tree was labeled Full Moon Maple. Love that name…love the color.

Bright sunshine shone down on us and its warmth embraced us. We took great delight strolling around in it.

I didn’t record the name of this unique berry bush. Yes, these are real, natural berries.

At one point during our afternoon a message popped up on my phone alerting me to a photo memory. I looked and it showed photos from a Fall trip my friend and I had taken last year (2019) to Madison. The photos were from Olbrich Gardens and the date was exactly one year ago TO THE DAY. That was crazy! It felt like a confirmation. We reminisced, and recalled in 2019 it snowed the night before we visited the gardens so the ground and paths were covered with the white stuff. Not so this year.

Another striking planter…

Olbrich Gardens is a place to revisit again and again. Our trip turned out well. Although we shortened it, it was good to be together, in-person, to catch up with our lives. Someday we will not have to worry about COVID, but until then, a lot of decisions are heavy and difficult.