Oh my Gosh, 5 Stars all the way! I'm so happy we came here during Tulip Festival! Was it kinda pricey at $20 a person to get in, and crazy busy, yes to both! but would I do it again, yes for sure! We walked up and saw you could catch a big ol school bus to shuttle you up to the entrance for free, we hoped on and went in. I was very excited to see de Zwaan the famous Windmill imported from the Netherlands! The only one in the US, I think! It was SO beautiful! I got some great shots of the tulips and the windmill that I thought were just so pretty! Loved going up in the windmill and walking thru the tulip fields. Also don't miss walking thru the shops with authentic goods for sale including a whole cheese wall! With samples! You know some Dutch Gouda had to come home with me! read more

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Back in July I went to De Zaanse Schans in the Netherlands and then in August I came here to Windmill Island Gardens - so I feel like I have a good way to compare the parks. The windmill is identical to what is in the Netherlands. The only difference between this windmill and the ones in the Netherlands is that each level of this windmill has different types of jobs that were done that relied on windmill power such as clog carving and flour milling. I feel like the people in costume don't really want to chat or start a discussion around the park except for one woman at the very top of the windmill who was giving out stickers and one doing the pipe organ demonstration - everyone else in costume were either chatting with each other or kind of zoned out. Outside of the windmill, there's not much to do - we watched the short informative film and the pipe organ demonstration, but that's it for activities. We were told that the park had horses in the pasture but we walked the entire park and all the paddocks were empty. There is a carousel for kids and there is a gift shop selling the exact same stuff as all of the gift shops in Amsterdam. Even though we were in Holland, Michigan, everything just says "Holland" on it - I even saw the exact clog magnet I purchased in Amsterdam for sale here! Even the paper shopping bags for small items are identical to what is available in the gift shops in Amsterdam. (The cheese is local though.) One that that was pretty cool was looking at this big miniature town that they have on display from the 1930's. If you have never been to Windmill Island Gardens, then you'll have no idea of the significance of the miniature town in Nicole Kidman's basement in the film "Holland" that she starred in. It is set in Holland Michigan and features many shots of this particular windmill. My husband and I watched it after we stumbled upon it after our visit and having been here was kind of cool while watching. Overall, I'd say you can do absolutely everything in 2 hours here, including walking the entire loop around the fields. It was fine but I'd definitely like more of the employees doing talks discussing Dutch culture, crafts, architecture, whatever. Visited: August 2025 read more

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Tulip festival visit We wanted to pick one of the touristy style pay to enter tulip areas. We decided on the windmill island. It will take you about 2 hours to explore. In the front you start with walking through some pretty gardens. They have a street musical machine you can listen to, a video about the windmill, shops to check out. When you walk across the bridge that is the best part of the property. A beautiful view of the windmill and tulips. You can walk inside the windmill, stroll through the tulips and enjoy the walking trail. Bring your camera to get awesome pictures! read more

Windmill Island Gardens - Miniature village - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Holland, Michigan

It's been about 12-15 years since I last visited Windmill Island Gardens. It's even better than I remembered - and very kid friendly for this chapter of life. From the windmill itself (which you can climb four stories to explore inside and out), to the stunning tulip fields in the spring to the playground, Dutch Morgan performances, carousel and mini Dutch village recreation, there's plenty to explore for a couple of hours. It's located a little over a mile from downtown Holland. Parking is easy ahd free. Highly recommend getting there right when they open during Tulip Time season to beat the crowds. read more

This park was neat! I enjoyed walking around the loop and looking at the gardens. The windmill is the highlight of this location but the organ was cool too. I'm sure during peak tulip season this place is very busy. It wasn't busy on our visit. The workers were very friendly and informative. The walking loop was about a mile. It is paved and flat. I also saw people walking their dogs so there is that. Overall I would recommend this place at least once. read more

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Recently came here with my wife as our first Pit Stop on our wonderful vacation. This place was very cool just because I enjoy culture whenever I can and people embracing their origins. It was fairly price for what it was worth. Staff here was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about everything. I did feel like some of the exhibits are not really well taken care of while some parts of the garden are underdeveloped. The main attraction was the windmill and I thought I was absolutely beautiful. The Landscaping was very well maintained as well. But besides the shops there really wasn't too much to explore even parts of the walking trail were blocked off construction purposes as beautiful as this place was I did feel like I laughed a bit disappointed. They have a little Overlook outside of the gardens and it's just over looks a swampy area. read more

Absolutely amazing. While there isn't a ton here, what is is so nicely curated, beautiful and just a lovely space to spend a few hours. I wanted to see the windmill - which was very cool - you could go up and investigate all sorts of little spots while inside. Also, interesting history and even volunteers inside who can answer questions. Then there are lovely gardens (and I wasn't even there during tulip season!). You can walk around in a loop from the windmill to a very cute line of historic looking buildings with various historical models and information inside. Music on one side, carousel on the other... all surrounded by beauty. Snacks were somewhat lacking unless you wanted a bag of cookies or licorice but nice options for take home treats. Carousel was a big draw. It runs at regular intervals. And a play space right behind it - perfect while waiting! Definitely worth a visit. What a gem. read more

This was a fun stop on our trip from Chicago to Michigan. You can go into the windmill, and they have a few other buildings to visit. One had a model of Dutch town in the 19th century that was built in the 1930s. It was very detailed and fun to look at. The gift shop has lots of different types of cheese to purchase, and you can sample first. I wish they had flour from their mill for sale, I would have bought some. read more

Windmill Island Gardens - Decor - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Holland, Michigan

I took a day trip to Holland to see the tulip fields and was directed to Windmill Island Gardens. The grounds are spacious but beautiful and charming. (The Tulip Time festival was the week before, so flowers were not at their 'peak' bloom time but still gorgeous.) As you walk in there are staff in traditional Dutch apparel directing you to key points to see while walking amongst beautiful tulips and greenery. A Welcome Center has facilities, a video to watch & small gallery of photos and historical items. Nearby is a small number of shops for souvenir items, pottery, clothing, garden decor, snacks and treats. A carousel for children only (darn it) and a small conservatory/ greenhouse which I think sells plants? I did walk in but there were a number of people exiting so I quickly glanced around and left. I had no need for or desire buying at that time, just browsing around. There is a large windmill near the tulips fields that you have to walk to, along a paved pathway next to a canal and bridge depicting a Dutch town feel. Along the way there are displays for photo opportunities and a few benches to rest if needed. I did see people with mobility aids (walkers with seat, canes) while there so it's accessible. I did not see everything but I believe the map said the entire way around was less than 1 mile. It was a nice visit and I liked that they had signs with tulips names on them, for ordering I suppose, but I don't know if you can from this place. I was glad the sun peeked out several times while there. It was a cloudy, overcast 3 hour drive. read more

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It's a beautiful place to go. There's no question about that. Would I go back? Probably not. For our family there just isn't enough to do to make it worthwhile read more

Windmill Island Gardens - The windmill - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Holland, Michigan

Came here with family the Friday prior to Tulip Time. Entry is free for Holland residents and $13 for adults, no discount for seniors. Although most of the tulips were behind fences they had a good amount already bloomed near the front of the gardens. If you want to avoid crowds and traffic, highly recommend coming to Holland, MI the week before Tulip Time ideally on a weekday. You can actually take pictures without so many other people in your frame and have time to enjoy the gardens and the windmill on the property. read more

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We visited for the first time during the tulip festival, and the gardens were beautiful as we happened to visit when the tulips were at their peak. It was very crowded though, and some visitors were carelessly trampling tulips, even lying down in tulip beds to take selfies. Some were even picking tulips to take with them instead of leaving them for all to enjoy. So rude. Definitely park employees are needed to keep visitors on the paths and out of the tulip beds. Of course this should be common sense but some visitors had no respect for the beautiful tulip beds. We came back during Fall Fest weekend to participate in planting the tulip bulbs. Planning to return in the spring to see "our" tulip bed. read more

Windmill Island Gardens - Planting tulips - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Holland, Michigan

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A wonderful place to be on a weekday when the crowds are diminished. The windmill was actually spinning and lots of history here. Staff are friendly and helpful. Great gift shop. We'lll be back for the tulip festival. read more

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May 6, 2024 We were told that the tulips were in full bloom last week and due to the heavy rains most of the tulips have died/lost their petals. The island is beautiful. Very lush and clean. As you can see from my photos some tulips survived the early bloom and heavy rains. The ones that survived were breathtaking. I love the fields of tulips by the windmill. It made the perfect photo. Soon as we entered we watched a film on the windmill and how it's still an active mill today. Fascinating, I'm glad we took the time to watch the short film. It made the tour of the windmill more meaningful. It was sad that most of the tulips were spent, but I'm still happy I got to go and get the pictures I wanted of the tulips with the windmill in the background. read more

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Pictures do not do this place justice. They open at 9am we arrived at 8am in opening day and they started letting people in at 8:30amnon this day we were able to park in the parking lot purchase or three tickets eith a credit card and access the island. Because it wasn't crowded yet were ran around the property like crazy people lol. It was epic. Main stop was the windmill so you can learn about history and get a great view of the gardens. The watch was perfym tulips like cooler temps so they were just perfect. So many variations of tulips displayed with love in mind. There are rows in between you can walk through to find that perfect picture opportunity. It really is breathtaking. Opened more than just for tulip time so if you are in th area drop in to enjoy the authentic gift shop and the wonders of the Dutch culter. read more

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My family and I were so excited to finally visit the Windmill Island Gardens during the first day of the Tulip Time Festival on May 4, 2024. Unfortunately, it was a major disappointment. Unless you have money to burn, spend it elsewhere. The city was not prepared for the influx of out-of-town visitors. Due to traffic, it took us nearly an hour to go past four miles. It then took us 45 minutes to find parking, 30 minutes to walk to the Gardens, and then another 30 minutes of waiting in line to enter the grounds. I can see the vision management was going for, but the grounds weren't maintained. It was bad enough that most flowers were already shrived but on top of that, so many kids were plucking flowers and visitors were stomping on tulip beds just to get photos of themselves - absolutely horrible! There should be signs or at least employees restricting people from doing this because it ruins the experience for everyone. The windmill itself was nice but there's not much to see from the top. My family and I do not plan on ever returning to the Gardens. read more

Windmill Island Gardens - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Holland, Michigan

According to everyone, this was the thing to do while in Holland, Michigan. I arrived on the second week of tulip season. It seems like this year it was too hot for the tulips and they didn't last that long. I still got to see a few of them, but the fields were pretty much empty. You can come here to enjoy part of Holland history. They have a huge windmill that you can go into. On the different levels of the windmill, you'll get some history. The workers will also answer any questions you have. I love that the workers are dressed in period clothing. There is a carousel for children. It is included in the ticket price. It only runs twice a one hour. Adults can go on with the children, but cannot sit on the horses. There's also a playground for children to keep entertained The grounds are beautiful and well taken care of. The gift shop was so cute. I loved it. It is my understanding that they have events throughout the year. Parking is available on site and there's plenty of it. read more

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A touristy place but was enjoyable. The gardens are beautiful. I'd Ben before and now took my sister and her husband. Really fun! read more

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This was my favorite activity on our trip to this area, it was so incredibly peaceful and serene. I felt like I was in another country altogether. We came when the tulips were gone, but there is still so much floral beauty to enjoy and the The Swan Windmill was more than I anticipated - significantly larger than I pictured and the history was phenomenal to learn about. You can walk all the way to the top, and it's really a thrilling experience to be that close to the windmill turning. All the staff were friendly and knowledgeable, it was great to learn from them. This is the one and only authentic and still operating Dutch Windmill in the US! Don't miss out on the gift shop and cheese tasting on your way out! read more

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Fun little tourist attraction! Would love to see it when the Tulips are bloomed or when Nicole Kidman is here! Nice walking trails and information on this places history! Staff was very friendly as well! read more

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their was only two windmills. it is not even a island! the windmill was pretty cool. but everything else was boring. DO NOT GO TO WINDMILL "ISLAND" read more

We visited here on Wednesday May 08 during Holland's 2024 Tulip Time Festival Week, May 04 through May 12 this year.  This year, due to warm weather, the tulips bloomed a bit early so we missed the most colorful period.  It was still a delightful day trip for us on a delightful weather day.  For a modest $12 adult admission, you could enjoy a pleasant walk around the grounds, climb through the 3 story authentic Dutch windmill which was relocated from the Netherlands, mill about the shops, enjoy a Dutch street organ demonstration, watch a short video about the gardens and the windmill, and enjoy what tulip colors still remained. At mid-day, their parking lot was filled, and traffic was diverted towards downtown Holland.  You could either park and walk about a mile across the causeway to the island, or just kill some time and wait for the lot to re-open once enough cars have left.  We waited just 15 minutes and got in on a nice close parking spot.  We've never bothered over the years with visiting Holland to see the tulips, and stopping by here made for a nice day trip indeed.  We deliberately avoided Thursday and Saturday as those are the parade days, and the town and the various tulip venues get very over-crowded apparently on parade days and the weekends.  So the pro-tip is to make the trip during a weekday if at all possible, set the bar right for your expectations, and if the weather is beautiful, expect an appropriately bigger crowd.  You can have a 5 star experience here or a 1 star experience (as many reviewers have), so pick the timing of your visit carefully! read more

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Whether someone is a history nerd, or a master gardener, has an interest in engineering, or just wants to see something new, there is something here for them. This is a windmill, hundreds of years old, that was moved from the Netherlands, to Holland, MI. There's also a 10:1 replica that was made by the same person that moved it. The gardens are stunning, starting with tulips in the spring, and progressing through perennials over the summer. The windmill is a functional one, open to the public, and it's really impressive to see the technology available 250 years ago. There are cute shops, informational videos, and plenty of walking trails. A great place to spend a few hours. read more

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This is a beautiful place during Tulip Time Festival. This was our first time to this popular event. I heard that it can get pretty crowded so we opted to go during the week. So, with the smaller crowd and the gorgeous weather, it was a perfect day to see the tulips. The Gardens are pretty large and the tulips are all in full bloom. There were so many colors and different types of tulips. It was pretty neat to go to the top of the windmill and see the 360° views. This will definitely be a new tradition for our family to enjoy each year. It is a great way to kick off springtime in Michigan! read more

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We were brought here on the VIP tour we were on. We had a great time. There's a couple shops, food truck, windmill and great grounds. The gardens were said to be designed by the same gardener that did the grand hotel. Definitely worth a visit if in town. read more

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We visited the gardens in September while vacationing in the area. It was a dreary weekday but it was phenomenal!! We were there with our pup and we had an amazing time. We walked, enjoyed, learned. Hugo sniffed and explored. It was a terrific afternoon spent on beautiful land. read more

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The Windmill Gardens was definitely on my bucket list for this area. We have lived in Europe for some yrs and traveled to Holland several times to see the famous gardens! Don't miss them if your ever in Holland in the spring time. Now on to this review in Michigan. There is plenty of free parking, want crowed when we visited a few yrs ago. The entrance fee was reasonable priced, ask for a brochure map. The gardens aren't that big, but a map is a great keepsake. Walk around and just take in the beautiful flowers and views, everyone runs to the Windmill located in the far back field. We took our time, and enjoyed all the history. They have food, gifts shops, seating areas thru out and lot of space to spread out. You will learn alot, especially if you have never been to Holland. The windmill was brought over from Holland in pieces, climb up and catch the nice views of the property. Yes you will have to climb up, I didnt see a elevator. I really feel like Michigan did a really nice job of the gardens, again if you wanna see the real deal goooooo to Europe! If not enjoy the USA and its overpriced tourism spots, Lol! Yes I do recommend the Windmill Gardens and make sure you wander a bit downtown, the town is really cute to see. ~Dani she on to the next adventure~ read more

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Windmill island gardens Our first time coming here. Not how I envision it but good. People glorify the images but in reality it's a tame environment. I was expecting a magnificent display of tulips all over. In reality, they are planted in sections and in limited quantities. The windmill is huge! The area is surround by a small stream which must be used for watering the tulips. The bathrooms are located in the main building which is nice. No outhouses or porta potty. No need for extra smells to ruin the smell of tulips. They do have ONE food stand which serves a decent amount of different foods. I strongly suggest you come before the festival, because when it arrives, there is basically no parking spot available. Come and enjoy the tulips. Highly recommended read more

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What a treasure! Tour the windmill that was brought to the US after WWII and assembled as restored. They have many gardens to tour, a field to fly a kite and more. A relaxing way to send an afternoon. read more

Windmill Island Gardens - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Holland, Michigan

It is so peaceful to walk around and enjoy the activities. Here you are taken back to another time and place. We went in the early fall the flowers are still beautiful but I have heard the spring time is a once in a lifetime experience with the Tulips no matter spring or fall it's worth it read more

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my mom and I had the most wonderful experience at Windmill Island on 5/8. our amazing experience began with parking. it was free and the parking attendant offered row 2 parking for us as my mom is elderly but doesn't have a handicap permit. Row two had several spots available for us to choose from. The attendant also recommended stopping in the Post House to borrow a wheelchair. Easy, easy, easy! There would've been no way my mom could've have enjoyed the gardens without that wheelchair! Thank you for making the grounds not only gorgeous but also accessibl! read more

Windmill Island Gardens - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Holland, Michigan

Overall one of the major places to visit when you are in Holland, MI. However, I was not very intrigued by this. Entry tickets are damn cheap and I was surprised by that. It is a nice picturous location and has great photo opportunities. A big area with tons of greenery all over. It was a joy to walk here. Nice holland style building and small museums. A cute botanical garden and a merry-go-round swing too. A great place for a family with kids. The only complaint we have is that there were no good food options. They should really have a restaurant inside with some hot food options. read more

Windmill Island Gardens - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Holland, Michigan

Windmill Island Gardens was lovely during Tulip Time! We brought my kids and though there were a lot of opportunities for pictures, there were a few things that were elderly/child friendly. The windmill was a little confusing/ anti climactic. You go up a bunch of stairs and are sort of rushed through the displays with not a lot of information and then you see the Island from the top of the windmill and then you walk down a bunch of stairs. There wasn't a lot for the children and the gift shop was so overburdened that the line was wrapped around the shop quite a bit. There is a semi confusing path of tourist sites, but when you get to the very back w/ the fields of tulips you go around the gravel and then all of a sudden you have to walk through a field. It would be nice to have a well defined path with tulips along the edges or something. The old carousel was nice but it was very very very slow. The organ was very neat, though potentially an opportunity for improvement would be to expand the little shack holding the organ so that more than 3 people can see at a time. read more

Tulip time is TRULY the best time at Windmill Island Gardens. This place is so incredible and I absolutely love how beautiful they have created this whole area of gardens. It truly feels like its own little town and at any point inside the gardens, you can look up and see the iconic windmill standing proud in the distance or not-so-distant distance. There are...dare I say...thousands if not MILLIONS (?!) of tulips throughout these gardens and everything feels alive with color whenever I'm here. Granted, I haven't been here in the "off season" times when it's not tulip time, but I'm sure it's equally fun and beautiful. I definitely recommend coming here for tulip time if you want the best experience ever! I also recommend you coming here before they say they're "open for business" each day. If you don't want to be surrounded by people while you appreciate the gardens, I'd get there around sunrise up to even right at open, and you'll be able to view the tulip fields uninterrupted and take incredible pictures while you're at it. I absolutely love it here. Thanks for being so dog-friendly as well, Windmill Island Gardens. I love nothing more than being able to appreciate the tulips with my dog and many other tulip spots in the Holland area during tulip time aren't necessarily dog-friendly the way these gardens are. So this is TRULY the best! :) read more

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So today I had some free time on my hands so we hopped in the car and headed west for Holland, MI to see the tulips. Added bonus I got to see the windmill that was imported all the way from the Netherlands. Unfortunately, the tulips were already done since May but this place was so peaceful please do yourself a favor and check it out if you're in the area you won't be disappointed. Kiss me tulips read more

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Tulip Time 2023 was from Saturday, May 6 to Sunday, May 14. We had a large group of 14 and wanted to avoid the crowds. Most research says the tulips should still be blooming the week after the peak but of course there is always the risk of that not being the case. So for our visit, most of the tulips were already withering and we did not get to see much. However, our toddlers were still able to run around in the open field and I was able to capture some memorable shots with the windmill and whatever was left of the tulips. We spent two hours there and it was more than enough. read more

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Do NOT go in August. There are barely any flowers or things to do. Consider it as a $13 donation for a 30 minute walk in the park.

Think carefully before going if the tulips are not blooming. Unfortunately I went in June, so there were no tulips. For us there wasn't enough to do to justify $12 admission. If we had kids with us that were small enough for their merry-go-round (which is no extra charge I believe), perhaps my opinion would have been different. That all being said, the attraction has so much potential. If they could work with (or set up) a local horticultural group, it would be an excellent spot to create a good-sized series of gardens and develop attractions that would be appealing all year round. Suggestion - take a look at Wellfield Botanic Gardens in Elkhart, Indiana, a botanic garden that is not particularly large but well developed enough to draw us in whenever we are in the neighborhood. read more

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What a beautiful thing to see! The lush gardens and working windmill! We visited during Tulip Time so it was probably more crowded than usual. Cute little shops with all things Dutch. They had a display of a miniature Dutch village which was very cool. Visited with my kids and mother. Was happy to see that they had wheelchairs available that we could borrow to venture the grounds. You are able to go inside the windmill and see the inner workings. Very neat thing to experience! They also had a carousel that the kids enjoyed. read more

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Beautiful, spacious garden with walking paths and flowering plants. Unfortunately, there aren't too many flowers in bloom during our visit but the island garden is still wonderful. The entrance fee was $5 per person and dogs are allowed which was a plus. Since we're vacationing with our pup, it's important to find activities she could participate in as well and this garden is one of them! The downside is, you cannot take your pets inside the building so if you do have your pup with you, be ready to not go inside any buildings or have someone else wait for you and take turns going inside buildings. The windmill is beautiful and the recreation of the buildings will definitely transport you to a different place altogether. The store associates even dressed up in Dutch apparel! Due to COVID safety procedures, their snack bar was not open but there were pre-packaged food items available for purchase such as Dutch cookies, stroop waffles, and chocolates. I think this garden would be absolutely gorgeous in the spring! Our pup definitely enjoyed the wonderful garden and so did we! read more

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