GoCampingAmerica.com | Posted February
    2nd, 2016

    Springtime Sights: America’s Public
    Gardens

    Happy Camper Blog

    Spend your
    next road trip visiting gorgeous gardens across the country!

    April is National Garden Month, so this is a great time to start
    planning one or more trips to visit some of our country’s many spectacular
    public gardens. Keep in mind that gardens in some parts of the U.S. are open
    on a seasonal basis, so be sure to check their dates and hours of operation
    before you visit.

    Here are a few great gardens to consider:

     

    ARIZONA

    Desert Botanical
    Garden

    Phoenix

    Located in Phoenix, the 140-acre Desert Botanical Garden offers
    visitors a great opportunity to explore the unique beauty of the Sonoran
    Desert. The garden includes five loops: Desert Discovery, Plants &
    People of the Sonoran Desert, Sonoran Desert Nature, the Center for Desert
    Living and the Harriet K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower Trail. The garden is also
    known for its special art events that have included world-renowned artists
    like Dale Chihuly, and for its seasonal activities such as plant sales and
    Butterfly Walks.

    CALIFORNIA

    Ganna
    Walska Lotusland

    Montecito

    Madame Ganna Walska was a Polish opera singer and socialite who
    purchased this 37-acre Santa Barbara estate in 1941 and spent the next 43
    years collecting exotic plants that reflected her love of “the dramatic, the
    unexpected, and the whimsical.” After her death in 1984, Lotusland became a
    nonprofit botanical garden where visitors can view aloe, bromeliads, cactus,
    ferns, succulents and other unique plantings. Lotusland is also dedicated to
    green practices and offers information on how to create sustainable
    gardens.

    FLORIDA

    Naples Botanical Garden

    Naples

    This 170-acre tropical garden is located 10 minutes from downtown
    Naples and includes a variety of sights to see, including Asian, Brazilian
    and Caribbean themed gardens. There’s also a special Florida garden that
    showcases the state’s unique flora and landscape, as well as a water garden
    described as being “reminiscent of Claude Monet’s water lily pool.” The
    garden also offers family events and programs for adults in the areas of art,
    gardening and horticulture, health and wellness and nature and
    birding.

    MAINE

    Coastal Maine Botanical
    Gardens

    Boothbay

    Set on 270 acres of tidal shoreland in the Boothbay area, Coastal
    Maine Botanical Gardens offers plenty to explore, including meditation, rose
    and perennial and hillside gardens; the Burpee Kitchen Garden and a
    children’s garden. There are also multiple trails to hike, such as the Maine
    Woods and Shoreline trails. Other visitor amenities include RV parking, a
    family education center and a dog walk trail.

    MISSOURI

    Missouri Botanical
    Garden

    St.
    Louis

    Dating back to 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis is
    the nation’s oldest botanical garden in continuous operation and has been
    designated as a National Historic Landmark. Highlights include a 14-acre
    Japanese strolling garden, founder Henry Shaw’s country residence which was
    built in 1849, an authentic Victorian garden, a children’s garden, a
    conservatory housed in a geodesic dome called the Climatron, and one of the
    world’s largest collections of rare and endangered orchids.

    OREGON

    Portland Japanese
    Garden

    Portland

    Spanning 5.5 acres, the Portland Japanese Garden is composed of
    five different types of gardens that reflect the history and culture of
    Japan. Each of these gardens is designed to create a sense of peace, harmony
    and tranquility. Choices include the Flat Garden, the Strolling Pond Garden
    which includes two ponds, a stream and waterfall; the Tea Garden where
    stepping stones create a path through a wooded setting to the teahouse; the
    Natural Garden and the meticulously-raked patterns of the Sand and Stone
    Garden. In late spring, the garden is enhanced by the blooms of azaleas,
    camellias and wisteria.

     

    PENNSYLVANIA

    Longwood
    Gardens

    Kennett
    Square

    Established by entrepreneur and philanthropist Pierre S. du Point
    in the early 1900s, Longwood Gardens is located 30 miles west of Philadelphia
    and offers more than 1,000 acres containing dozens of gardens to explore. A
    few examples are the Idea Garden, Topiary Garden, Fern Passage, Mediterranean
    Garden and a stunning indoor garden called the Orangery. Longwood Gardens
    also serves as a cultural center and offers numerous music, dance and theater
    events through its annual performance series.

    VIRGINIA

    Lewis Ginter
    Botanical Gardens

    Richmond

    Richmond’s 50-acre Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is set on land
    that formerly served as a Powhatan Indian hunting ground and was also once
    owned by Patrick Henry. There are more than 12 themed gardens to tour,
    including a rose garden, a children’s garden, a domed conservatory, a
    community kitchen garden, an Asian garden and a cherry tree walk. The garden
    also offers many activities, including classes, family events and plant
    shows.