Botanica: The Wichita Gardens
The Wichita Gardens is a beautiful botanical garden on 17.6 acres in the middle of Wichita, Kansas. Botanica is a true oasis in the middle of the city. It has over 4,000 different kinds of plants and a large network of trails, bridges, and water features. In this article, we’ll talk about the history of this beautiful garden and its best features.
History
Botanica was started in 1987 by a group of dedicated volunteers who wanted to make a botanical garden in Wichita that would be among the best in the world. Staff, volunteers, and donors have worked hard over the years to make the garden bigger and more well-known. Botanica is now one of the best gardens in the Midwest and a place that people of all ages love to visit.
Highlights
The Downing Children’s Garden is one of the most interesting parts of Botanica. This 1.5-acre garden is meant to spark children’s imaginations and teach them about the natural world. A large pond, a musical maze, a sensory garden, and a treehouse with a view of the whole garden are all part of the garden. Kids can also climb on giant ladybugs and caterpillars, explore a cave, and run through a fountain that shoots water into the air.
The Chinese Garden of Friendship is another part of Botanica that you should not miss. This peaceful garden is made in the style of a traditional Chinese garden. It has a waterfall, a lotus pond, a moon gate, and a pavilion. Visitors can sit on benches and enjoy the beautiful bonsai trees, bamboo, and colorful flowers in the garden.
Another popular place to go in Botanica is the Shakespeare Garden. This garden is made to look like it was built during the English Renaissance, and it has a statue of William Shakespeare. Some of the herbs and flowers in the garden, like rosemary, thyme, and marigolds, are mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays. People can walk along the paths of the garden and smell the fragrant herbs and flowers.
Botanica has a lot of water features for people who like to look at them. Both the Downing Pond and the Sally Stone Sensory Garden have peaceful places with waterfalls and streams. There is also a small waterfall and a pond in the Butterfly Garden where butterflies and dragonflies like to hang out in.
Botanica also has several themed gardens with different kinds of plants to show off. As was said, the Butterfly Garden is a safe place for butterflies and has plants that draw them in. There are more than 150 different kinds of peonies in the Peony Garden. These include herbaceous, intersectional, and tree peonies. There are many different kinds of water plants in the Aquatic Collection, such as lotus, water lilies, and bog plants.
Botanica also has a lot of other events and programs throughout the year, in addition to these highlights. Some of these are the Tulip Festival, the Luminary Walk, and a number of gardening and nature-related classes and workshops.
Conclusion
Botany: The Wichita Gardens is one of the most beautiful places in the Midwest. It is a must-see for anyone visiting Wichita because of its beautiful plants, water features, and themed gardens. Botanica is a great place to visit if you like nature, like to garden, or just want a quiet place to relax in the middle of the city.