Fort Worth’s Botanic Gardens

The Botanic Gardens of Fort Worth has over ten outside gardens and an enclosed conservatory, so it’s not hard to spend an entire day enjoying everything each garden has to offer. Conveniently enough, fine dining is available at The Gardens restaurant, located in the gardens. If the weather is nice though, picnicking on the large grassy lawns or near playful fountains is an option, so long as all food and trash is carried out.

Four gardens cover most of the ground at the Botanic Gardens:

• Rose garden
• Japanese Garden
• Fuller Garden
• Perennial Garden

Rose Garden

The rose garden is expansive and is divided into two sections: an upper and lower rose garden. There is a walkway beside the lower rose garden with comfortable wooden benches lining it. Trellises draped in wisteria vines keep the benches and most of the walkway shaded on warmer days. The upper rose garden looks out over a large grassy expanse and an enormous pond with a fountain in the middle. Koi and turtles inhabit the pond.

Japanese garden

The Japanese garden is a world unto itself. It is enclosed by wooden walls and miniature bamboo forests that evoke feudal Japan. A koi pond wends its way through much of the garden, and while one can get to the other side via a traditional Japanese bridge, the large stepping stones are a lot of fun too. Some of the ‚”extras” in this garden include a tea house, several pavilions for demonstrations or festivals, and a gift shop.

Fuller and Perennial garden

The Fuller and perennial gardens aren’t as big as the rose or Japanese gardens but still provide a nice walk. The perennial garden has a small pond with a sculpture of two herons in it, and the flowers here can be seen year round. The Fuller garden is an explosion of white and pastel colored trees and flowers and is at its best in spring, when everything is in full bloom and the flowers have not yet taken on a dry, withered appearance.

Smaller Gardens

The fragrance, trial and cactus gardens are significantly smaller than the four mentioned above, but are still enjoyable to walk through for sweet aromas and exotic looking plants. There are also several kid-friendly boardwalks winding through forested sections of the gardens. There are plaques both educational and fun about the flora and fauna that can be found surrounding the boardwalk.

Finally, the conservatory is the place to go to see exotic flora such as orchids, bromeliads, and all manner of rain forest plants that can’t be sustained outdoors in the Texas environment. Tropical trees draped with lianas are also found here. Be warned, the warmth and humidity of the conservatory is kept high! Every two years, the conservatory is host to thousands of tropical butterflies as the Botanic Gardens presents Butterflies in the Garden.

From everyday roses to giant palms, the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens has it all! It’s a must-see for anyone visiting Fort Worth, and even if spending a full day there is an unaffordable luxury, even an hour or two is enough to glimpse how much the gardens have to offer. Explore the Botanic Gardens website and see the dates for special events, or read about the festivals in the Japanese gardens!