The Secret Cactus Garden

We went to some amazing places over Passover and saw some wonderful sights, yet sometimes the simplest things are the ones that stick in your mind. We had tickets for the Dialogue in the Dark exhibition at The Israel Children's Museum in Holon, an activity which proved to be a very meaningful and enlightening experience, but we had some time to spare before our allotted entry time. I had taken the kids to the city of Holon some time before and remembered that there was a cactus garden which we had all fancied looking at which had been closed at the time. There was just enough time for us to stop by and try again, and this time we were lucky. It was open.

The garden proved to be a real gem, and a place that no one seems to know about! When we visited there were very few people there, yet it contained some beautiful plants, a few interesting sculptures by Israeli artists, and even a large birdcage filled with beautiful Lovebirds and Budgerigars. Something about this garden really stood out for us all. Even the kids loved it!

We  found hundreds of cacti and other desert plants of every shape, size and shade, in a beautifully landscaped setting. Apparently the collection includes over 4,500 species brought in from all over the world. The garden’s paths are decorated with sculptures and there were plenty of places to sit. The whole place is small enough to not be overwhelming, while at the same time being big enough to find plenty to do for up to an hour. Frankly, had we known, we would happily have brought books and left the kids to explore for even longer.

The Cactus Garden is open weekdays only during the summer months, from June until mid October, and it is worth checking the opening hours before setting off since, from experience, I know it is not open all day. However, for those of you in Israel, it's well worth a look if you enjoy a little bit of greenery, but, shhh, don't tell anyone about it. Let's keep this special little garden to ourselves, okay?