Walktober 2023

An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day. ~Henry David Thoreau,American naturalist, poet, philosopher

Once again, it’s time for the annual group walk known as Walktober. Hosted this year by Dawn, Walktober encourages us to get outside and experience nature by walking, biking, riding, boating, whatever; and to share that enjoyment with others through words and photos.

Monkey’s already done his walk — he prides himself on being an over-achiever, hmph — so this one’s just for me. I traveled to Charleston, IL, home of Eastern Illinois University and the Whiteside Garden.

Opened to the public in 2021, this five-acre tract was the home of the late Dr. Wesley Whiteside, a botany professor at the university, and features thousands of plants from around the world.

Imagine my delight at finding a Southern Magnolia tree right as I entered the site! One of the volunteers told me Dr. Whiteside took care to see his plants were protected from winter’s snows … and they were thriving:

Look at this Banana Tree, outside and far from the tropics:

This is a wall of Giant Bamboo:

Of course I found whimsical elements like this painted rock snake:

And a pond with lily pads:

And this trellis-thing:

I approached this statue from behind, and at first, I thought it was a real person:

I found some trees with interesting shapes:

And some beautiful flowers:

I even found a cactus garden — planted outdoors in Central Illinois — and it looked quite healthy to me:

Obviously, I enjoyed some Fall color, too:

And here’s a shot of native prairie grasses:

Thanks for walking with me. I hope you enjoyed it.

After seeing this lovely spot in the Fall, I can only imagine how beautiful it must look in Spring, when everything is just starting to bloom. Guess I’ll have to go back!