Great Escape: Green Up Your Winter With the Gardens

Each week in Great Escape, we’ll tell you about one great idea to give you a much-deserved break, and make your life a little easier, maybe a whole lot easier.

Got an idea for a Great Escape? Tell us in the comments below.

Clevelanders love to complain about the weather — winter, spring, summer, fall and then all over again. There is a way to feel the heat and get a much-needed dose of green even on the most frigid days, and it doesn’t require an airline ticket.  Take flight to the oasis that is the Cleveland Botanical Gardens in University Circle.  

Stroll among more 50 species of butterflies and birds, and more than 350 types of flora in the lush Costa Rican rainforest, then tour the spiny desert of Madagascar, both under one roof in the brilliant Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse.

The gardens open early at 10 a.m., so you can make a quick getaway after the bus picks up the kids.  In fact, why not start with breakfast at The Garden Café looking out over the 74-foot reflecting pool and imagine the blossoming to take place outside in just two short months.  

 If none of the above brightens your day, there is the last resort of “ shop therapy” at the Garden Store, which has a charming selection of unique garden-themed gifts and one-of-a-kind jewelry. Parking is available on the street or in the attached garage.  Check the website at for exact hours, admission, and special events like the annual Orchid Mania exhibit which begins February 27.   What a great way to thaw out on a cold, winter’s day.