Where's Wendy? Celebrating her Birthday! Part 2

© Spellbound Images by Wendy - All Rights Reserved

Okay... In my last post I described my birthday lunch at Bahama Breeze, which was the intro to my special day.

After a wonderful lunch, as planned, we headed off to Sunken Gardens in downtown St. Petersburg (which offers free admission on your birthday). I had photographed a wedding there a couple years ago, and had been wanting to get back and enjoy the botanical atmosphere for quite some time. I remember visiting the Gardens with my family when I was very young and vacationing in Florida.

Although the flowers weren't as plentiful as I had hoped, Sunken Gardens offers a surreal ambiance as you wander along the clay tile walkway through this botanical paradise. Their website boasts this is the oldest living museum at 100 years, and is home to some of the earliest tropical plants in the region. In the early 1900's neighbors loved to visit George Turners garden on 4th Street. I can imagine sweethearts holding hands and stealing kisses as they strolled through this tropical Eden, and parents with small children in carriages would promenade amongst the foliage on a Sunday afternoon.

During the early morning hours Florida locals enjoy Yoga, Pilates, hoop dancing, body sculpting and meditation in the Gardens. They also provide tours, programs, field trips, and special events like the wedding that I photographed in the past. They even have a small amphitheater for shows and presentations.

From cute little bridges over small ponds and waterfalls, to exotic birds, coy fish and a children's science museum, “Great Explorations,” Sunken Gardens surely has something for everyone. Imagine... all this from a plumber who loved to garden! :)

Love, Laughs, and Photographs,
Wendy

All images captured with the Olympus E500 on Lexar Digital media with the Zuiko 14-54 wide angle zoom, and the Zuiko 40-150 zoom lenses.