poison ivy: noun

a climbing vine of the cashew family that has three-part leaves and white berries. Contact with the plant produces an itchy rash

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So after I left the Italian Garden and started my trek back through the shrub garden I knew I was wanting a new adventure, and I found one called the Spring Path. It's a mulched pathway and I figured, what the heck, let's give it a whirl.

One of the first thing that excited me was to discover a hidden view to the walled gardens ( remember the rose gardens? ) I have never taken this picture before and felt like I had stumbled on a secret path....maybe I am the only one who has discovered it, lol, no...but I ran across only one group while walking it!

You do have to walk a little bit on a paved path and pass under this brick walk way to continue along the Spring Path but it was after passing through is where I met up with the other couple and I had to make sure they knew to take the path detour so they could get that great shot of the walled garden. Good deed done, I knew I was off to a grand adventure!...or at least not get lost...that would work too!

along this path were some awesome smelling flowers, this smelled familiar to a magnolia....divine!

and around a corner, some unexpected Snowball bushes!

spending a few minutes capturing this honey bee on a rhododendron bush,

and this one of him flying! Looks like he coming to get me...but I don't think he even knew I was there!

Then out of the Spring Path and into the Azalea Garden, while there are no azaleas in bloom, there are a lot of little bridges...

 cute little stone bridges...

and then a stone bench tucked under this large leaf Magnolia for me to sit and reflect upon how lucky I am to be able to walk it's rocky path, sweat in the sun, have sore feet, and itchy poison ivy.....

because there are many people out there in this big world who trade everything to have it.
I am so blessed.
:)