A Morning at the Central Park Conservatory Garden.

This week went a little differently than I had planned. After the excitement of coming home to Georgia after a month in New York, I was a little bombarded by some pregnancy discomforts and a wicked stomach bug. I'm still coming out of the sick stupor but am taking a moment away from cloroxing everything in my home to share this post. Because it's a good one and it makes me smile.

One of the first things we did when we visited NYC this month was check out the Central Park Conservatory Garden - a formal garden tucked into the upper east corner of Central Park. It's a little bit of a hike to get all the way up there (which is why we've never visited), so there were virtually no tourists, but I am so, so so glad we finally made the effort. After coming off of our London trip and swooning over all the practically enchanted gardens there, it was really fun to see an American version of something so charming and well-kept. Also, I have been telling Everett all about the English rose gardens that we visited in London, and he keeps asking to visit "the garden", which is just so fun. He is so my kid, that little botanist.

This is typical. Even if we're in a mall, and there's a fountain, he's suddenly in it.

This has got to be in a movie somewhere. It's too perfect.

This juice you guys. It's all the rage. Well, in my heart. It's Juice Generation's "Get Ur Green On" and it's SO GOOD.

These two. They tend to always match because almost everything I buy for them is blue :)

This is a really special park of Central Park because it's divided into three sections - English, Italian and French gardens. Each garden has its own flair and obviously, plant life, associated with the gardens. The most formal entrance is through the Vanderbilt Gate on 5th Avenue between 104th and 105th and immediately leads you down a staircase into the English Garden, which is flanked by magnolia and lilac trees. The Italian garden is punctuated with crabapple and yew trees and features a gorgeous wisteria-laden pergola. To the north, the French style garden features a water fountain called Three Dancing Maidens surrounded by a myriad of low-to-the-ground seasonally changing foliage, including tulips, mums and Japanese holly. For anyone who loves flowers and gardening (or who has a child that likes to trespass into water fountains), this is such a sweet, quiet spot of the park that really makes you feel like you're in a different country. You certainly forget for a moment that you're in New York City, and some times, that's a nice reprieve.

He was racing. Himself.

We do a lot of the same things when we travel - we walk around, we find things to munch on, we explore parks and gardens, and we take too many photos. But really, is there anything more relaxing than lazily exploring a quiet garden with your loves?

Seeing these pictures makes me want to go back. And simultaneously makes me want to go home and get gardening again :)