Most of my vacation destinations have not been based on seeing a garden, but it has turned out those vacations I've enjoyed the most have included a visit to a public garden. Since it is the end of November with little that can be done in your own garden, I decided to write about visiting gardens.

This time last year I had just returned from China. Gave thought to writing a column on Chinese gardens but that would require a book rather than a column. Most Chinese gardens are based on the principle of Feng Shui – everything in harmony but it is a bit more complicated than that simple statement. Flowers with a lot of color aren't a big part of the Chinese garden, while form and relationship of a water feature, a tree, or huge boulders to each other in the garden are the bases of the garden. I always feel "at peace" when walking through a Chinese garden.

My trip to Alaska mid-August had been planned perfect (strictly luck) to be there in the middle of their very few weeks of fall, so enjoyed not only the colors of fall but had the added beauty of fruit bearing berry bushes on the tundra giving off a reddish hue – with black dots (the dots were grizzly bears eating the berries seen at a distance in Denali National Park). One of my planned excursions on the cruise portion was to Jewell Gardens in Skagway. You have heard of the huge cabbages of Alaska (saw those too) but amazing when you see the size of other common plants such as marigolds, dahlias and zinnias. I found it hard to understand why so many flowers were in bloom when those same species at home had finished blooming long ago. The size I can understand with all the daylight hours during the summer months. It is like each plant is being forced in a greenhouse. This garden was started by a would-be miner, a farmer (long deceased) from Minnesota, who decided crossing the White Pass to the Yukon wasn't for him so he started a rhubarb farm to sell to the miners who were already showing signs of scurvy. The garden, with a miniature White Pass & Yukon Railroad wandering through the center garden is worth a look – it is a little "jewel."

If you plan a trip to Alaska, leaving or returning via Vancouver, BC, Canada add an extra day to visit one of the most beautiful gardens you will ever view – Butchart Gardens outside Victoria on Vancouver Island. Mrs. Butchart insisted the ugly quarry created by the family company, Portland Cement, be reclaimed and turned into an area of beauty. I visited this garden several years ago and was blown away. I've heard nothing but good things from people who have visited recently.

My October trip to Charleston, South Carolina was planned around historic sightseeing but my friend insisted on including Myrtle Beach. Okay, a few days on the ocean is great too, especially in 88 degree temperatures. Passing Brookgreen Gardens on Rt. 17 before we got to Myrtle Beach, she said it was a must see if you liked gardens. Okay, qualified so visited a few days later. Brookgreen Gardens turned out to be the "gem" of this trip. Any of you who travel south in the winter months by car and want to take a little detour, this is well worth the trip. While the gardens wouldn't have all the color they had this past month, I'm sure the visit would be just as interesting. Frankly, I'd never heard of this garden but it is a National Historic Landmark because of its exceptional quality in interpreting the heritage of the United States. Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington created this non-profit outdoor museum with its majestic oaks and world-renowned sculpture (over 1200 pieces by American artists, many by Anna Huntington). It is truly a place to restore your soul and renew your spirit. The serene gardens with the beautiful sculpture allow lots of space for reflection. Many tours, programs, and excursions are offered. We took one on a pontoon boat into the creeks of the Waccamaw River to view the abandoned rice fields, alligators and other waterfowl. Visited a zoo of native animals in their natural habitats, complete with matching sculptures. With over 300 acres open to the public you can understand why the $10 admission fee allows you to return for 7 days (boat ride was extra).

Then we crossed the highway (Route 17) to visit Huntington Beach State Park. The Huntington's leased this part of the four rice plantations they purchased back in 1930 to the state in 1960 as a wild life refuse. There are long board walks out into the marsh for viewing the egrets, blue heron, alligators and anything else that happens to be there with lots of posted information as to what to look for during your walk. An added plus is Atalaya (means watch tower in Spanish), the Huntington's winter home until 1947. It is an all brick house of Moorish architecture containing 30 rooms, each with a fireplace and wrought iron bars at the windows, built around two court yards with a watch tower in the middle, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Okay, want to stay in the Midwest, here are a couple ideas thanks to Midwest Living. Botanical Gardens of St. Louis, Mo. Use their website to plan your trip. The gardening help section includes a plant finder and a comprehensive pest-management page. If you haven't visited this garden yet, you have missed a great outing. International Peace Garden, Dunseith, North Dakota - might need a passport for this one as you can plant one foot in the US and the other in Canada. Does have a short flowering period (everything is started in greenhouses) and best seen in the middle of summer. Each year the garden has a different theme with 150,000 plants and 90 varieties. Dow Gardens, Midland, Michigan (50 miles NW of Flint) is considered one of the Midwest's most beautiful gardens with towering white pines, oaks, maples and other trees creating a backdrop for shrubs like the rhododendrons ranging in colors from yellow, crimson to mauve, pink, white and more. Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Dubuque, Iowa contains the largest public-garden collection of hostas in the US, but also has a galaxy of roses and other plants. This garden is operated solely by volunteers and planted only with donated materials – only such garden in the US.

My next trip is to Holland and Belgium – to see the tulips and other bulb flowers in bloom. Plan your trip to a garden to enjoy and learn something about design, plants, and gardening in general just from viewing the work of other gardeners.

If you have any horticulture questions, call the local U of I Extension office Monday through Friday at 345-7034. Volunteer Master Gardeners are not in the office this time of year but they will return your call.

This column is based on information and materials at the University of Illinois Extension office, located at 707 Windsor Road, Suite A., Charleston, 61920; phone 345-7034; or web site: www.extension.uiuc.edu/coles/