The Botanical Gardens

Impressions from my childhood.

I never knew how the park visits would impact me, from my first visit at age five to numerous visits later.

Tourist travel was uncommon in the 1950s, but at least passenger ships that carried immigrants and others between Britain and Australia stopped in the Colombo harbor for several days, giving the passengers time for an inland trip to visit the beautiful island, including the Royal Botanical Gardens. All State visitors, including Queen Elizabeth II, were each expected to plant a tree in the park.

I was unaware of the park's importance. It was a magical and endless playground with more discoveries waiting to be made. I loved one seemingly hidden spot among towering trees. The place had neat footpaths among countless ferns, both big and small. Someone showed me a special small fern that was white underneath. If I placed my arm under the fern and pressed it, it left a picture of a snow-covered spruce behind.

The Orchid House was filled with blooms of many colors. I couldn’t grasp all that a guide explained there, but I became fascinated by one orchid named “Lady’s Slipper.” Were there such tiny ladies who had such small feet?

One favorite place in a far corner of the park was a pond. Despite similar ponds, this one differed because of a large fish named Baby. Whenever we went to that pond and called “Baby, Baby,” the fish showed up, waiting for crumbs from our sandwiches.

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Next time, I will share an Allegory that will bring me back to the park.