Okay so maybe it's not much of a secret, but while you're there it's hard not to imagine that you're the first one to ever step foot there, like it's been hidden away for years.
I'm speaking of course of Lincoln's Sunken Gardens. Created on 1.5 acres near 27th Street and Capitol Parkway the gardens were built in the 1930s. With construction being completed during the Great Depression, over 200 men were given much needed jobs by the garden project. The gardens were remodeled as recently as 2004.
The Sunken Gardens include several different gardens. The Perennial Garden which returns every year of course, the Annual Garden which is planted by volunteers every Spring, and the Healing Garden which was completed in shades of white to inspire calm. The Annual Garden is planted based on a theme every year. This summer the theme is "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." The garden also includes two different raised ponds with koi and many beautiful water plants as well as several pieces of sculpture.
The Gardens keep busy with many volunteer events throughout the summer and year round. In the Spring volunteers are welcomed to "Wake up the Beds" and prepare the grounds for annual planting. In the Fall, volunteers gather again for "Put the Beds to Bed" where the grounds are then prepared for winter by pulling annuals and adding new compost. Green thumbs can also meet twice a week to learn about the gardens and different gardening techniques.
The Sunken Gardens are in a word, gorgeous. While not overly expansive, they fill and nearly overflow the space they occupy. They are lush and vibrant and there's a certain peace the minute you step on the grounds. Many people mill around looking at the flora and fauna while others sit and rest or read among the foliage. If you find yourself in Lincoln in the Spring or Summer I definitely recommend - no insist on a trip to the Sunken Gardens. And if you walk just a little south out of the gardens and then across 27th Street towards the Children's Zoo you can visit the beautiful Rose Garden adjacent to the Sunken Gardens. I've never seen that many varieties of roses in one place!!
It really is a beautiful treasure in the middle of the city - so much so that when I finally got there, I went twice in one week! The photos are from a trip there with a friend on one of the most temperate and beautiful nights we've had in Lincoln this summer. I then went later that week when my mom was in town. Whether you're learning the fine art of wandering or spending time with family, the Sunken Gardens will capture your heart from the moment you pass under the stunning pavilion and into the flowers below.
Okay so maybe it's not much of a secret, but while you're there it's hard not to imagine that you're the first one to ever step foot there, like it's been hidden away for years. 
