Norfolk Botanical Garden

sarahwilk24
Jul 1, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Jul 20, 2025

Taking Shade Under the Magnolias

231 pieces | Unbranded: 21222-1

Assembled by Mike Alfare, March 2025

Interaction Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)

July 2, 2023

Neither Sarah nor Hunter had ever been to Norfolk Botanical Garden (NBG) before, so Sarah suggested they take a nice day trip to Norfolk and peruse the Garden. At the time, Sarah worked at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (LGBG) in Richmond and was curious how NBG was different. It was a beautiful, sunny day, so sunny that Sarah had to carry a parasol around to help protect her newly tattooed arm from sunburn, since she wasn't allowed to put sunscreen on it yet. When the heat of the day got to be too much, they took rest under a massive magnolia tree.

Beakitecture

476 pieces | LEGO: 31143 (retired)

Assembled by Sarah Wilkinson, May 2025

Interaction Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)

One thing they quickly learned about NBG was that is was huge and much more spread out than LGBG. Sarah, in an attempt to look cute, wore platform sandals, expecting the Garden to be more compact and require less walking. For her sins, she paid dearly and carried her shoes as often as she wore them that day. One of their favorite things they saw was an exhibit of tricked-out birdhouses that community members designed as part of a competition to build the most creative birdhouse. They saw a birdhouse that looked like a gumball machine, a mid-century modern house, and even a camper van.