Happy Friday GPODers! We’re on the road again, this time to tour a huge Texas botanical garden with Frances Watson.
Founded in 1934, the Fort Worth Botanical Garden is the oldest major botanical garden in Texas and covers 120 acres of flora. With 23 different specialty gardens—including a tropical greenhouse, a woodland walk, and a water conservation garden—there’s plenty to explore if you want to see it all. If you’re short on time, you can still hit the highlights, as Frances did a few weeks ago:
I went to Fort Worth Texas 2 weeks ago. I visited the Botanical Gardens. I only had time to visit two areas, the Japanese Garden and the Rose Garden. There were many sculptures that added beauty and interest. This is a garden worth visiting.
There are few garden styles as iconic and recognizable as the Japanese garden. Regardless of location (I mean, who would have guessed the garden in the photo was in Texas if I hadn’t told you??), the peace and tranquility these gardens evoke can be adapted to any climate and any plant palette. Although, admittedly, it’s a little easier to work around a beautiful reflecting pond like this one.
I have also always admired that Japanese style often proves that less can be more. Just a few round logs contrasting with the sharp edges of rocks and large boulders create a scene that is both charming and pleasing to the eye.
But the real magic of the botanical garden is seeing the distinct gardens that have their own merits and merits. Far from the delicate green Japanese garden above, this formal rose garden is a geometric marvel for the senses. While it is also an immersive experience to explore in each tub and between each flower bed, I always think formal gardens like this are most impressive when viewed from above. Great photo, Frances!
And a close up of one of the many spectacular roses. All of these peach, pink to orange roses are my favorites, they are like a sunset painted on a flower! From the look of the older flowers fading to a lighter pink, this could be a Rise Up Emberays® (Rose x ‘Bozfra321’, Regions 5–8).
And finally, one of the sculptures Frances mentioned, which was definitely not what I expected! I had to dig a little deeper into these interesting works of art and discovered that they were all by the late artist Seward Johnson, who was famous for his life-sized bronze figurative sculptures (like the one above). His often surrealistic works fool passersby at first glance, and the Fort Worth Botanical Garden captured this quality by strategically placing them to blend into the scene. The sculptures are only on display until September 1st, so if you’re in the area, I’d add a visit to your calendar immediately!
Thank you for sharing your trip with us, Frances, and showing us that it is worth it even if you have limited time.
Do you have a garden you would like to share?
Do you have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular plant collection you love, or a beautiful garden you’ve had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the photo and where you took the photo. We’d love to know where you are, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you’re proud of, failures you’ve learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Do you have a mobile phone? Tag your photo on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!
Have you received your GPOD via email? Sign up here.
