Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Selby Gardens - Lights in Bloom

Lights, beautiful lights all around the gardens.  My husband and I took our three grandchildren to see Selby Gardens' Lights in Bloom last night.  When we were on our way home, I asked the kids what were their favorite things and they said , "Everything!", so I guess they liked it!  I think what they really liked was to be able to run around in the relative darkness with the grandparents and cousins.  We bought a bag of caramel corn and ate that as we walked around, too, so that didn't hurt either!

Several years ago we visited this same event and really didn't care for it.  They had teenagers as volunteers and they basically ran wild all over the gardens, really spoiling the visitors' experience.  That has changed.  Nary a wild teenager in sight.  It was quite pleasant to walk around the gardens in the moonlight. 

The kids really enjoyed the kids' craft area and were proud of their creations.  It also gave Nana and Papa time to sit down and rest for a minute.  (I know I am talking like we are 90 instead of 54, but I wasn't wearing the right shoes and my husband has been having some back problems, so anyway, that's our story and we're sticking to it.)

For some reason my photos downloaded to my blog backwards, so the first pictures are really the ending of the tour and the last pictures, the beginning.  I encourage you to support the gardens, which are really such a treasure to our area, by going on the tour.  If you can, take some children with you - they'll appreciate it!

The fireplace in the living room of the Christy Payne house, now called The Mansion.  The house was decorated for the holidays by ASID members.

The Christmas tree decorated to invoke the mansion's bay side location.

The living room

The dining room table

The kitchen table

Another view of the dining room table

The dining room

The stairway decorated with garland and orchids

On the front door

Poinsettias at the entrance

The grandchildren in front of the bromeliad tree

Frosty cut-outs on the bay front

The front of the mansion.  I loved the big lighted snowflakes!

How pretty!

Santa's reindeer in their pen

The grandkids tell Santa their Christmas list.

Santa's sleigh

Elves dancing around the tree

Colorful trees along the path

Dancing lights,which I had so much trouble capturing.  I kept shooting just as they all went dark!

The front of the Selby house.

The kids decorating bags.

The kids making paper wreaths.

A wreath and a trio of frogs that the kids could turn the lights on and off and all around.  They enjoyed that!

Glittering butterflies

Lights strung along the path

The pergola with lights and dancing fairies

The sign for the Wishing Tree that told which color of ribbon meant which kind of wish.

Marina and Madeline hanging their wishes on the tree.

Going down the light tunnel

The Wishing Tree

Brodie and Marina hang wishes.

Three terrific grandkids!

Flowers in lights

Starting down the walkway

Electric trains

My favorite lights view - many butterflies in the banyans.

A lighted cockatoo greets you as you start your tour.

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