Tucson Botanical Gardens

info@thepepper.com

Paula:
(520) 977-0003

It's hard to believe there's a botanical garden tucked away in central Tucson just south of Grant Road. But once you leave the parking area and go through the front doors, you're in for a gardening surprise. There you'll find herb gardens, a tropical forest filled greenhouse, xeriscape methods, a wildflower garden, and so much more. You'll have to visit several times during the year to really appreciate all the colors and variety offered at Tucson's Botanical Gardens.

Special events sponsored by the Botanical Gardens like the spring Home Garden Tour or the December Luminaria Nights will keep you entertained while giving you plenty of new gardening ideas. The spring and the fall plant sale will help you to find new desert adapted plants for your home garden.

The Tucson Botanical Gardens is truly of the Old Pueblos treasures. Founded in 1968, the Botanicals Gardens has quickly become one of Tucson's favorites. Established on the estate of Bernice and Rutger Porter, the site was doubled to five acres in 1975. Originally leased for twenty-five years in 1974, the property was deeded by the City to the non-profit organization that facilitates the Botanical Gardens in 1985. The City also provided the Gardens with public restrooms, an iris garden, and a tropical greenhouse in the same year.

The Botanical Gardens have been growing ever since. These exhibits are equally as informative, as they are beautiful. The Native American Crops Garden was added in 1986, and in 1988 a low water use exhibit, the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden began showing Tucsonans the beauty and ease of healthy desert landscaping. This commitment to entertaining and highly useful education drives 100,000 visitors to the Botanical Gardens yearly. There are several services offered by the Gardens both yearly and seasonally. Every Wednesday the Gardeners of Tucson host an informative plant clinic, and the Tucson Organic Gardeners have helped to create the Home Compost Demonstration Site. There are 60-70 classes and workshops offered annually on a variety of horticultural and desert environmental concerns.

Some of the things to be found at the Tucson Botanical Gardens include:
Herb Garden
Tropical Forest Exhibit
Sensory Garden
Cactus and Succulent Garden
Xeriscape Demonstration Garden
Native American Crops Garden
Butterfly Garden
Wildflower Garden
Back Yard Bird Garden
Nuestro Jardín
Iris Garden
Shade Garden
Children's Discover Garden

The Tucson Botanical Gardens located at 2150 North Alvernon Way, are open daily from 8:30AM to 4:30PM. The grounds are closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day and July 4th.

Text and photos by Bruce Mitton of The Tucson Gardener at Tucsongardener.com

For more information: 520-326-9686 or www.tucsonbotanical.org