With spring lifting up our spirits, we constantly find ourselves fascinated by the most common parks in the cities. Blooming flowers, green trees, singing birds, they are all special celebrations of life. But when you really feel like admiring nature in all its splendor, botanical gardens are what you should see. Here are ten of the most fascinating public gardens in America: read, admire and go visit!
The oldest continuously operated public garden in the States and one of the top three botanical gardens in the world, the Missouri Botanical Garden first opened its doors to visitors in 1859. It is famous for its gorgeous horticultural displays and its half-a-century-old geodesic dome housing a tropical forest. During spring you can admire thousands of tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths and much more.
Boasting the largest collection of breadfruit trees, the last remaining native Pandanus forests in Hawaii, blooming passion fruit plants, leopard trees, baobabs, an impressive variety of sugar canes and the stunning pregnant banana tree (which stores the fruits in its trunk, instead of growing them on its branches), this is a small paradise that you definitely have to see. You can find it on the eastern shore of Maui, Hawaii.
3. Wave Hill
Located in Bronx, New York, Wave Hill is a beautiful oasis of lush vegetation. The garden’s director of horticulture, Scott Canning, decided to adopt a different approach to displaying natural beauty. He chose to only label the plants that are of seasonal interest, so if you visit the place right now, you will only find discreet labels here and there. This will help you feel more connected to the lovely surroundings while also getting informed about the blooms around you.
4. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Florida’s climate is perfect for a lush tropical garden like this one. Probably the best thing about it is the fact that it is both an interesting tourist attraction and a great place for community gatherings. Family-friendly events, festivals, plant sales, lectures and even special days in which dog lovers can bring their pets here – all these activities are possible at the Fairchild Tropical Garden.
What’s special about this reserve on Bainbridge Island is its entryway. Unlike most botanical gardens, which dazzle you with fascinating displays of blooms and plants right from the entry, the Bloedel Reserve welcomes you with an intentionally less eye-catching scenery. The idea is to slowly bring you into the experience.
6. Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
Spring is particularly stunning here with camellias, magnolias, rhododendrons, daffodils and Pacific Coast irises. This Californian paradise is perfect for a nice picnic, bird watching, walking your dog or just unwinding on a bench, surrounded by nature.
7. Blithewold
Blithewold is a gorgeous house initially built in 1896 for Augustus Van Wickle. In 1906 it burnt down completely and later an even grander mansion was built in its place. Now every spring enchants its visitors with some 50,000 daffodils and many other gorgeous blooms. You can find it in Bristol, Rhode Island.
Back in the 1700s this place was a simple arboretum, but after Pierre du Pont bought the property in 1906 and transformed it into a horticultural showplace, thing started to become considerably more interesting in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. In 1919 a 195,668-square-foot conservatory was built to house twenty indoor gardens and more than five thousand species of plants.
This family-oriented tourist attraction in Galveston, Texas is fitted with a water park, a 3D theater, a white-sand beach and butterfly gardens. The impressive 40,000-square-foot rainforest pyramid on the property houses more than a thousand rainforest tropical plants from Africa, Asia and the Americas. Orchids, bromeliads, violets and many, many more flowers will enchant you, each with its individual charm.
10. McKee Botanical Garden’s Waterlily Garden
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, McKee is not very manicured, because according to Christine Hobart, the executive director of the garden, natural growth was allowed to dictate the place’s design. During springtime, waterlilies are the stars of the show, but you will also love to see bromeliads, plumbagos and pineapple blooms.
