It’s no secret at this point that I love birthdays (mine, yours, anyone’s!). It should therefore not come as a shock that I took all of last week off from work to celebrate my twenty-fifth. I spent the week hanging out with friends, eating incredible food and continuing to explore this city.

On Wednesday, Becca and I ventured to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. We’ve lived in Crown Heights for a year and somehow had never been before even though it’s practically in our backyard!  Here’s a peek into my favorite parts:

Cherry Esplanade

This is the reason we went. Cherry blossoms are one of my favorite parts of living on the East Coast (I’m seriously dying to get to DC for the festival one year), and they don’t bloom for long at all. While most of the trees in the esplanade hadn’t bloomed yet when we visited, a lot of trees on the outskirts were in peak bloom and seriously gorgeous! Also, yes, it was warm enough to wear just a tank top. God is good.

Fragrance Garden

This isn’t the most beautiful garden here (in fact, it was designed for the sight impaired!) but it is definitely the best-smelling! If only I could bottle up scents to share with you all.

Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden

This might have been my favorite area. I’ve never been to Japan, but this is exactly how I picture it!

Osborne Garden

This is the first garden you come to when you enter off Eastern Parkway – I can’t wait to go back and see it in bloom.

Shakespeare Garden

I don’t have any pictures from the Shakespeare Garden, but I just had to mention it because it is perfect for literature nerds like myself! The garden is home to plants mentioned in Shakespeares’ works – and the signs include the passages. SO COOL.

Conservatory: Desert Pavilion

I was obsessed with the entire conservatory – the rooms are climate controlled to mimic various environments. But of course the best part was the desert pavilion! Becca and I, forever Arizona girls at heart, felt right at home in this room lacking in humidity and full of cacti.