hello world!
If you are like me, you probably only leave your apartment when you have to. I’m not an introvert or severely depressed (just the normal amount of writer depressed). I just like being at my place. My cat and television aren’t outside. Also, if I’m outside, I’m not writing blogs, so Frank does not allow me to go outside. Unfortunately, according to my therapist, not leaving my apartment is “unhealthy,” and I should “stop being a nerd and touch some grass.” So, I decided to look around for things to do outside. Since I live in a city, if I want to touch some grass, I have to work for it.
When I was little, I was almost always outside, so I thought back to when I was a kid, and for some reason, I used to spend a lot of time running around botanical gardens. While I lack a green thumb and suffer from hay fever, I used to enjoy botanical gardens quite a bit. Perhaps it was because they became parks where I could play pretend with friends in different flora than I was used to. Regardless of the case, I remember them being fun. So, I decided to go to one. Of course, as with any outing, I would have to get approval from Frank before I left the blog sweatshop. I prepared a proposal for some time outside and pitched it to my supreme and glorious leader, and to my surprise, he agreed on one condition. I must first write a blog about Alice in Wonderland-themed botanical gardens.
I was not surprised to find that there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of Alice-inspired botanical garden exhibitions all around the world. But the one that is all over Google at the moment is the Wonderland: Curious Nature event at the New York Botanical Garden. Established in 1891, 26 years after Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was first published, the New York Botanical Garden, located in Bronx Park, has over one million living plants contained in its sprawling 250-acre footprint and is visited by over one million people annually.
An Alice-themed botanical garden event makes perfect sense. Plants play many important roles in every adaptation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. From the card soldiers painting the roses red to the roaring lion-faced “Dandelions” to the giant mushrooms (I know mushrooms are not plants, but they are a part of nature), the whimsical flora is one of the many things that make Wonderland, Wonderland. The landscapers and florists who were tasked with creating the exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden succeeded in creating a Wonderland that everyone can enjoy.
Some highlights of the Wonderland: Curious Nature event include a giant White Rabbit made entirely out of flowers, a sprawling topiary garden (a favorite in the Victorian age) with a whimsical twist, and a Victorian garden modeled after the garden that the real Alice Liddell used to play in. This, of course, is not all; art installations are seamlessly mixed throughout the botanical garden to transform the grounds into a real-life Wonderland.
If New York is too far for you, worry not. Due to plants being a constant theme throughout Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Alice’s consistent popularity throughout time, botanical gardens all over the world have thrown and/or most likely will host an Alice-inspired botanical garden experience. Some examples include the Imaginary Worlds: Alice’s Wonderland Returns at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, which features many topiaries of our favorite Alice characters, including card soldiers, the Cheshire Cat, and the White Rabbit (which is also a fountain). This event has already happened, but since it was the second time it has taken place, it’s a safe bet that due to its popularity, it will return.
All the way on the other side of the world, at the Hunter Valley Gardens in Sydney, Australia, there is a permanent installation called the Storybook Garden. There are statues of the many whimsical scenes of Wonderland, including an interactive Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. Along with this is some giant furniture to simulate being shrunk down by the “Drink Me” potion. This one focuses more on children, but I think any Alice fan on that side of the planet will love this installation.
For our European friends, there are many botanical garden experiences. Still, the one that stuck out to me was the Garden of Lights - Alice In Wonderland event at the University of Bucharest’s Botanical Gardens in Romania. This event occurs at night when the garden is transformed by lights. It has the Red Queen’s castle, the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, and Europe's longest LED tunnel, featuring over 320,000 LED lights. I’m guessing this tunnel would be a fantastic rabbit hole entrance into the Wonderland that was created for guests.
Unfortunately, these events have already happened. But, as I’ve said previously, plants have always been a constant theme in every adaptation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This means that if you can keep an eye out, a botanical garden near you will most likely throw an Alice-themed event in the future. But, if you can’t wait for one to come to you, you can make your way to New York, where the Wonderland: Curious Nature event is happening until October 27th. As a fan of botanical gardens, this one really does seem to be worth the trip.
I hope you all enjoyed this blog as much as I enjoyed writing it. It honestly reminded me of how much I enjoyed botanical gardens as a kid, and I’m actually now planning a date with my girlfriend to visit our local botanical garden. Have you been to an Alice-themed botanical garden event before? If you have I would love to hear about it. Also, which of the past botanical garden Wonderlands that I featured seems like the most fun to you?
Jared Hoffman graduated from the American Film Institute with a degree in screenwriting. A Los Angeles native, his brand of comedy is satire stemming from the many different personalities and egos he has encountered throughout his life. As a lover of all things comedy, Jared is always working out new material and trying to make those around him laugh. His therapist claims this is a coping mechanism, but what does she know?