Destination Gardens

Don’t miss out on these four botanical treasures!

- Sherri Ribbey

Looking for some new garden design ideas or some practical tips to step up your horticultural game? Stop by a public garden! While these destination gardens tucked into communities throughout North America generate lots of inspiration, they also produce important horticultural research and educate people of all ages about the natural world. Here are four gardens across the country that we think are worth a visit.

Idaho Botanical Garden Boise, Idaho

Here’s a great place to visit if you’re looking for water-wise garden ideas. Founded in 1984 on the site of the historic Idaho State Penitentiary, many of the gardens within the Idaho Botanical Garden still feature the previous buildings’ native sandstone walls.

There’s so much to explore in this 32-acre garden: an English border designed by John Brookes; native and drought-tolerant displays; a rose garden; a large children’s garden; vegetable beds, and a shady meditation garden with a koi pond where you can relax and beat the heat. And visitors to the Idaho Botanical Garden should also check out the adjacent Firewise Demonstration Garden to see plants and landscaping practices that can help protect their homes.

WATER-WISE SOLUTIONS Although winter temperatures are somewhat mild in this zone 6 garden, it only averages 11 inches of rain each year. The Dry Garden at right showcases a wide range of super-drought-tolerant plants for gardeners in the Intermountain West who want good-looking borders without much watering. Horticulture Director Duran Villegas says they focus on creating plantings that visitors can have success with at home.