Botanical Lunch

I headed out to the Clemson Botanical gardens for lunch last week.  I haven't done this since last year and I realized I really miss it.  Walking in the gardens is a great way to spend a lunch break.

There wasn't very many people around while I was there but one of the first people I saw was a lady near a picnic table.  She had a bag with her and was wearing a light wind breaker.  My first thought was that she was a volunteer picking up liter and helping out.

About fifteen steps past her I saw a small pile of Cheerio's on a tree stump.  I looked around and noticed another pile of Cheerio's.  I started to put the puzzle together in my mind and I turned around to see the lady walking farther down the trail.  The picnic table she had just walked away from now had two small piles of Cheerio's.

 Throughout my walk I saw many more piles of the cereal.  Either this lady was trying to mark her way or she was feeding the squirrels.  Whatever her intentions were I did see many squirrels enjoying her efforts.

I continued on finding a lot of flowers beginning to bloom.

I scouted out one of my favorite places in the gardens.  This quiet little area has boulders neatly spaced out along a creek.

 The Giving Tree.  Lots of love etched into this one.

 Bald Cypress towering into the sky.

 Oconee Bells are a pretty rare plant that can only be found in specific places.  Here's a section of them being grown in the gardens.  This is a newer display that I thought was great.

I'm not sure there is a better way to spend a lunch break.  In case you were wondering, I didn't eat any of the Cheerio's but I did think about it.