Congrats to Megan & Jeremy as they tied the knot at McGill Rose Garden in Charlotte, North Carolina. This couple is so great and will keep you laughing every second you’re in their presence. They chose to write their own vows and it was definitely one of the highlights of the day. Jeremy’s vows were some of the all time greatest and had everyone there laughing out loud one moment and crying the next. These two were made for each other and we wish you guys the very best as you start your journey together as husband and wife. -mn

Whoever thought up Boogie Woogie Books was a wise, wise person.  When getting a group of kids together for a library story time, a little boogie with the books cannot go amiss.  We went uptown to Imaginon this morning, and met our new friends K & C for this event (my kid’s first) and it was a hit!  The room was packed, and really, is there anything quite as funny as a bunch of 2-5 year olds doing the “silly dance – freeze” song?  In my opinion, any librarian who conducts story time is a saint, and this one certainly had her work cut out for her, but she sailed through like a pro (which I suppose she is..).

We *did* remember the food today (I’m going to quit linking this, just read the previous posts if you don’t get it), and went out front to eat on the grass & typewriter letters and watch the trolley & light rail.  And talk about lunch boxes and Tupperware and stainless steel and Pyrex.  Really.  We did *not* remember the sunscreen, though, so after we ate, we moved to the shade in front of Reid’s and got ice cream.  Well, ice cream for the kids, just (non-alcoholic) drinks for the moms.

Sadly, we had to part ways with our friends after that, and the kid and I went to check out the McGill Rose Garden.  What a great place!  And free, although donations are appreciated.  Now, if you are looking for something that is a mini Daniel Stowe, you will be disappointed.  It is not full of perfectly shaped rose bushes and paved pathways.  It is a garden, in the real sense I remember from visiting relatives in England.  Here’s what it says on their site:

In 1950, Henry McGill purchased a block of land that was home to a coal yard owned by W. A. Avant. Avant, owner of Avant Fuel and Ice Co., sold the property to Henry, who kept the coal business running for a while afterwards. Helen McGill, Henry’s wife, decided to beautify the area by planting two rose bushes, and eventually added numerous rose beds over three decades to the property.

Today, discover the Seaboard Coastline coal car still on its tracks, located to the left of the garden. The Seaboard Railroad Company donated the 34-ton coal hopper car as a memorial in memory of Helen McGill.

This place *was* a coal yard.  And *now* it’s full of plants and flowers.  I love that.  It’s not prime rose season, so there were some flowers in full bloom and some wilting flowers.  But I love that too, it made me feel like it was a real place, there just as much for the plants as for the people who come to see it.  Like someone who loves roses had invited me to their house.  Which I guess is pretty close to the truth.

We’ll go back, hopefully with friends, and the nice man there said we were welcome to bring our lunches to eat – there are a few benches and tables around.  There is also a store, with some merchandise from local artisans – the kid picked out a piece of “tree bling” to give to his grandmother for her birthday.  *And* you can adopt your favorite rose!

McGill Rose Garden is getting added to the “donation” list.  For his birthday, the kid started getting an allowance and to go with that, got a piggy bank with 4 chambers.  When the “donate” chamber is full, he gets to choose where he wants to give his money, so we’re compiling a list to choose from.  It’s never too soon to learn philanthropy!

And for anyone who is looking for a place where their child can learn about volunteerism, McGill Rose Garden might be a good option as well, they seem to have quite a few opportunities.

Survival Tips:

Try something new!  I’m almost never disappointed.

Encourage new friends – we only knew K & C in passing until yesterday, and now I’m so glad we got to spend the morning together.

Remember the sunscreen

Join us this Friday for the first Garden Gallery Crawl of the season!
This Friday, March 20 is our first gallery crawl of the season at the McGill Rose Garden from 5-9pm.   The weather looks good for the first day of Spring and NODA should be hopping!  Stop by McGill on your way to the NODA Gallery Crawl and enjoy a beverage, local art, and the music of Jeff Brown.
Click here to see our website: http://www.mcgillgardenshop.com
We are very pleased to introduce our new sponsor for this seasons crawl, Charlatan Magazine.  Pick up the premier issue of Charlatan Magazine this weekend at McGill.  http://www.charlatanmagazine.com

On North Davidson Street at the gateway to Center City.