Whimsical, wild, refreshing, creative, innovative, un-expected. All words I would use to describe Boxerwood Nature Center & Woodland Garden in Lexington, Va. I was expecting manicured grounds surrounding an old private residence, but what I found was much more interesting. A rambling yet intimate, delightfully un-manicured garden filled with giant-sized furniture, interesting garden art, and other gnarly, wooden garden creations. A garden truly seeming to have been created in the spirit of 'going with the flow' of nature rather than trying to control and manage it. When roaming through this interesting space, with the help of colorful, handmade signage, it felt like I was getting a VIP tour by the garden's creator, showing me all the little particular beauties and secret sweet spots of this little parcel of land. I felt like a kid again. I wanted to build a fort, make some mud pies in an earthen kitchen, and explore all the many secret hideaways behind trees and under bushes. And, this is how I felt traveling through the "adult" section of the garden! The children's garden, The Play Trail, was off -the -chain! Forts galore, a tunnel, a true mud kitchen complete with pots and pans for creating muddy delicacies; it looked so FUN! I think Boxerwood really hit the nail on the head with this children's garden. Kids can really be kids there(...and so can adults;). Check out this video to see some of the Play Trail's visitors in action:
