Tour of the Tucson Botanical Gardens- Tucson, AZ
TBG Vision Statement
The Tucson Botanical Gardens, a tranquil oasis in the heart of Tucson, strives to be recognized and respected as the best small public garden in America.
TBG Mission Statement
The Tucson Botanical Gardens promotes responsible and appropriate use of plants and water in a desert environment through education and demonstration and provides a place of beauty and tranquility for Tucson residents and visitors.
When visiting the Tucson Botanical Gardens, it is helpful to remember the Garden's Vision and Mission statements. At least for me, I think my first visit to the garden may have avoided a slight disappointment if I had read that it is a "small" garden. Let me explain.
When I think "Botanical Gardens", I first imagine the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, or the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona. These sprawling acres of botanical wonders have meandering paths and feature gardens the size of most people's entire backyards. The admission prices for these places are comparable or even cheaper than the considerably smaller Tucson Botanical Gardens which was a bit of a shock to me at first.
The thing to remember about the Tucson Botanical Garden is that it has only been a public institution since 1975, whereas the Garden in Phoenix was started in 1939 and the Missouri Garden in 1859. The larger Gardens have had more time to be established and grow. The Tucson Botanical Gardens is the original home and property of Bernice and Rutger Porter who delighted in discovering the local Tucson plant-life and using their knowledge to instruct newcomers to the area on regionally appropriate gardening.
Today, the garden sits wedged between major city streets and is indeed a little "tranquil oasis" in the middle of Tucson. Once I realized that the TBG was to be appreciated on a micro level, I enjoyed the sensory patios and the herb garden. The railway garden with its tiny train set racing through the shrubbery is a delightful spot and suits the scale of the overall gardens. The garden has a small greenhouse in which they display a live butterfly exhibit every year. Although I had never seen it because the extra $13+ entrance fee on top of garden admission dissuaded my tight budget, I have heard it was a pleasant experience.
What I found I enjoyed about the garden the most were the events that were held on the property. Once I saw a dance performance by a group which was promoting sustainable and local food and farming. The performance was splendid and held under one of the Garden's open air, covered patios. My friend and roommate was also married at the TBG and the space was perfect for a wedding. The gardens felt intimate and lovely, fitting for a beautiful ceremony filled with love. The location was especially fitting for the couple since the bride is an avid gardener, the groom a professional photographer, and together they have an innate appreciation of beauty.
Other fond memories I have of the Garden are taking closeups of bearded cacti and pansies while chatting with my grandmother who was visiting us for a season, and buying a beautiful handmade pair of gold dragonfly earrings from the gift shop for my birthday. Speaking of the Tucson Botanical Garden gift shop, it is by far, one of the best Garden gift shops I have perused as it had local soap and jewelry makers' work for sale, desert candies or jams made by local companies and a variety of "commercial" products and books that were still specific to the local regions' plants and wildlife.
If you live in Tucson and would like advice on desert sensitive gardening or would like to see examples of desert gardening, the Tucson Botanical Gardens is the place to visit! It is also a pleasant site for a peaceful walk in the middle of the city or a nice place to eat lunch and journal. Be sure to visit for any fun special events like dance performances, Luminaria nights, or have the garden host your wedding!
(My grandma and I enjoying the sensory garden area of the TBG, early 2009)
The Tucson Botanical Gardens, a tranquil oasis in the heart of Tucson, strives to be recognized and respected as the best small public garden in America.
TBG Mission Statement
The Tucson Botanical Gardens promotes responsible and appropriate use of plants and water in a desert environment through education and demonstration and provides a place of beauty and tranquility for Tucson residents and visitors.
When visiting the Tucson Botanical Gardens, it is helpful to remember the Garden's Vision and Mission statements. At least for me, I think my first visit to the garden may have avoided a slight disappointment if I had read that it is a "small" garden. Let me explain.
When I think "Botanical Gardens", I first imagine the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, or the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona. These sprawling acres of botanical wonders have meandering paths and feature gardens the size of most people's entire backyards. The admission prices for these places are comparable or even cheaper than the considerably smaller Tucson Botanical Gardens which was a bit of a shock to me at first.
The thing to remember about the Tucson Botanical Garden is that it has only been a public institution since 1975, whereas the Garden in Phoenix was started in 1939 and the Missouri Garden in 1859. The larger Gardens have had more time to be established and grow. The Tucson Botanical Gardens is the original home and property of Bernice and Rutger Porter who delighted in discovering the local Tucson plant-life and using their knowledge to instruct newcomers to the area on regionally appropriate gardening.
Today, the garden sits wedged between major city streets and is indeed a little "tranquil oasis" in the middle of Tucson. Once I realized that the TBG was to be appreciated on a micro level, I enjoyed the sensory patios and the herb garden. The railway garden with its tiny train set racing through the shrubbery is a delightful spot and suits the scale of the overall gardens. The garden has a small greenhouse in which they display a live butterfly exhibit every year. Although I had never seen it because the extra $13+ entrance fee on top of garden admission dissuaded my tight budget, I have heard it was a pleasant experience.
What I found I enjoyed about the garden the most were the events that were held on the property. Once I saw a dance performance by a group which was promoting sustainable and local food and farming. The performance was splendid and held under one of the Garden's open air, covered patios. My friend and roommate was also married at the TBG and the space was perfect for a wedding. The gardens felt intimate and lovely, fitting for a beautiful ceremony filled with love. The location was especially fitting for the couple since the bride is an avid gardener, the groom a professional photographer, and together they have an innate appreciation of beauty.
Other fond memories I have of the Garden are taking closeups of bearded cacti and pansies while chatting with my grandmother who was visiting us for a season, and buying a beautiful handmade pair of gold dragonfly earrings from the gift shop for my birthday. Speaking of the Tucson Botanical Garden gift shop, it is by far, one of the best Garden gift shops I have perused as it had local soap and jewelry makers' work for sale, desert candies or jams made by local companies and a variety of "commercial" products and books that were still specific to the local regions' plants and wildlife.
If you live in Tucson and would like advice on desert sensitive gardening or would like to see examples of desert gardening, the Tucson Botanical Gardens is the place to visit! It is also a pleasant site for a peaceful walk in the middle of the city or a nice place to eat lunch and journal. Be sure to visit for any fun special events like dance performances, Luminaria nights, or have the garden host your wedding!
(My grandma and I enjoying the sensory garden area of the TBG, early 2009)
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