Danielle Mkali of Minneapolis and her children, Kahlil, Ezrah and Naima, were among those thrilled by the sight of the showy lady's slippers blooming last week at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary in Wirth Park in Minneapolis. The lady's slipper, Minnesota's state flower, blooms for just a short time. "I was afraid the kids wouldn't like [the garden] because it wasn't a playground," Mkali said of the family's expedition. "But when they came through the gate, they said, 'Mom, this is cool!'" The lady's slippers are among many native plants flourishing at the garden, whose entrance is near Wirth Parkway and Glenwood Avenue. It's open from 7:30 a.m. till one hour before sunset.
PAMELA MILLER
