The Beaumont Botanical Gardens (23.5 acres), also known as the Tyrrell Park Botanical Gardens, includes

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

s and the 10,000 sq ft ''Warren Loose'' '' conservatory''. The gardens are located in 500 acre Tyrrell Park at 6088 Babe Zaharias Drive, Beaumont, Texas, USA. An extra benefit is that the gardens are located in a migratory bird flyway. Tyrrell Park is listed on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail map.

Hours and accessibility

The outdoor gardens are open to the public every day during daylight hours at no charge; while the conservatory is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm from April through October and noon to 4 pm November through March. ''(closed on Wednesdays and major holidays)'' Both the outdoor gardens and the Warren Loose Conservatory are wheel chair and stroller accessible. A large meeting center is also on the grounds.

History

The gardens trace their origin to April 12, 1951, when the Beaumont Council of Garden Clubs was formed. Creation of a public garden was one of the goals of that organization. The gardens were first established in 1968 when the city of Beaumont set aside 10 acres of land at Tyrrell Park. The Beaumont Garden Center Building was dedicated on August 20, 1971. In 1972, a master plan for the gardens was drawn up, and labeling of the trees, vines, and shrubs begun. The Beaumont Garden Center became the Beaumont Botanical Gardens in 1996.McDonald, Elvin; Kevin Vandivier; Earl Nottingham
"Texas Public Gardens"
Gretna, La.: Pelican Publishing Company, 2008, p. 30, . In 1999, the city of Beaumont set aside additional acreage increasing the gardens to the present size of 23.5 acres.

Features

Outdoor gardens

A variety of gardens and structures have been added over the subsequent years, including: *Green and White Garden (1986) * Stream Bed Garden (1986) * Antique Rose Garden (1987) * Shelter Building in the Garden (1988) * Grandmother's Garden (1989) * Modern Rose Garden (1990) *

Japanese garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desi ...

(1991) * Gazebo (1991) * Azalea Trail (1991) *

Daylily A daylily or day lily is a flowering plant in the genus ''Hemerocallis'' , a member of the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae. Despite the common name, it is not in fact a lily. Gardening enthusiasts and horticulturists have long ...

Display Garden (1991) * Native Plant Garden (1992) * Bromeliad * Display Garden (1992) *

herb garden The traditional kitchen garden, vegetable garden, also known as a potager (from the French ) or in Scotland a kailyaird, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden – the ornamental plants and lawn areas. It is used for grow ...

(1994) * Violet's Garden (1994) *

Camellia ''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are more than 220 described species, with some controv ...

Garden (1995) * Vi's Fountain (1996) * Secret Garden (2000) *

Palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...

Agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas and the Caribbean, although some ''Agave'' species are also native to tropical areas of North America, such as Mexico. The genus is primarily known for ...

Garden (2001) * The Bob Whitman Propagation House (2001).

Indoor gardens

Also on the grounds are the ''Binks Horticultural Center'' and the ''Warren Loose Conservatory'', one of the largest in Texas. The Loose Conservatory features tropical plants from around the world, a waterfall, a Koi fish pool; and many theme gardens displaying

camellia ''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are more than 220 described species, with some controv ...

s, modern and antique

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

s, bromeliads, and native plants. The ''Warren Loose Conservatory'' was dedicated on September 7, 1997. The ''Binks Horticultural Center'' was dedicated on February 14, 2000. The ''Bob Whitman Propagation House'' has a collection of rare bromeliads and

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowerin ...

Recovery from Hurricanes Rita and Ike

Hurricane Rita, in 2005, and Hurricane Ike in 2008, both damaged the conservatory as well as numerous trees on the garden grounds. In addition, the outdoor walks were damaged. Many plants died. Not only was the damage repaired and plants replaced, but many improvements to the grounds and buildings were made.

References

External links

Beaumont Botanical Gardens
{{Beaumont Texas Botanical gardens in Texas Protected areas of Jefferson County, Texas Geography of Beaumont, Texas Tourist attractions in Beaumont, Texas Buildings and structures in Texas Greenhouses in the United States