Mid-March means mud, wind, and wintery mixes. If you’re like me and craving signs of spring, check out your local botanical garden. Lamberton Conservatory, located in Highland Park, aka home of the Lilac Festival, is mine. Established in 1911, it’s a place I’ve frequented since childhood, both for the seasonal displays (Poinsettias! Easter lilies!) and as a welcome respite from harsh Rochester winters.

Lamberton is open seven days a week from 10-4:00, every day but Thanksgiving and Christmas, with street parking and knowledgeable staff. At $3.00 an adult or $10.00 for an annual pass, you can’t beat the price!

PHOTO OF CAL

Here you can relax, alone or with a friend, on a strategically-placed bench in the tropical room (warm and damp), the desert room (warm and dry), or anywhere else you find. Other rooms feature economic, carnivorous, and house plants.

The wildlife is an added draw. Not only are there multiple aquatic and land turtles to observe, you’ll also find a loud resident duck and, my favorite, the button quail. Small, multi-colored running birds who roam Lamberton at will, they always manage to coax a smile, even on my darkest days. This February I was even able to meet some January hatchlings!