Springtime Sights: America’s Public Gardens

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.

• Find
  a campground nearby

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.

• Find
  a campground nearby

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.

• Find
  a campground nearby

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.

• Find
  a campground nearby

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.

• Find
  a campground nearby

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.

• Find
  a campground nearby

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.

• Find
  a campground nearby

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.

• Find
  a campground nearby