Matthei Botanical Gardens & Conservatory Ann Arbor

You can visit a place over and over and experience it very differently each time. Changes are constant, especially with living, breathing things. Rather than getting attached to the current state of things, welcome the balance that comes with growth. 

The Conservatory at the Matthei Botanical Gardens has been one of my favorite places to visit for decades. People of all ages visit and absorb the beauty. New growth is being revealed as visitors are serenaded by the waterfall, the light cascading through the greenhouse glass and the gregarious laughter of children. The paths lead guests through the natural framework of variegated leaves, blooms and muscular branches. So much to delight the senses. So much to take in through the eyes. Learning about the varying ingredients of plant life helps us to discover a bit more about our own layers. Tough exteriors and silky leaves coexist with delicate blooms. Dormant plant life has become sculpture and lifts up new growth. The paths invite different perspectives of the gardens. Peering over to see a cacao nut or winding through the giant leaves or sitting in front of the nurtured and trained bonsai garden. Delight your senses and breathe life into the day with a visit to Matthei.