Essen's botanical garden is called Grugapark (Groo-guh-pahrk) and is over seven million square feet in size! With plants from all over the world, you can spend hours inside of Grugapark and still not see everything because of its enormity. Grugapark looks its best in the warmer months, but even when it's cooler, the nature is stunning. Plus, since some of it is indoors, it's a good place to stay warm while still seeing nature in the winter. The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are similar to Grugapark. Have you ever visited either of those?
My favorite part of Grugapark was the Cactus House. They keep this room very dry because that is the climate cacti usually grow in. The cacti came in many different shapes and sizes. Some were round and small like pillows while others were tall, skinny and long.
I was super excited when I saw the cacti because they're one of my favorite plants. Since I'm from an area in the U.S. where cacti don't naturally grow, I'm always in awe when I can see a cactus plant up close.
