Loving and Hating the Memphis Botanic Garden

I have a conflicted love-hate relationship with the Memphis Botanic Garden. I remember many a happy hour spent in the Japanese Garden as a child. I remember taking my own children on the weekly free day. Now there is no free day, and the cheapest membership available is $75 a year -unless you are 62+, and then it's $60. Regular adult admission for one is $8. *sadness*

The Cactus Garden was always a regular stop for us, and I admit I was disappointed when I found out they had removed it from the garden proper and placed it in a parking lot median. It seemed to me to be a marginalization of the cacti. If it were inside the gardens now, though, I'd never get to see it. It is worth seeing.

It's surprising how often I used to stop by the Botanic Gardens by myself on my way home just to spend 30 minutes or so. It's hard for me to imagine paying $75 a year or $8 each visit to do this. You see what I mean about my relationship with the Garden?