Botanica, The Wichita Gardens was opened in 1987 as a collaboration between the Wichita Area Garden Council and the City of Wichita. Originally it had four gardens and now encompasses 17.6 acres (7.12 hectares) of
botanical gardens located at 701 North Amidon,
Wichita,
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
,
USA. They are city-owned as part of the Wichita Park System and are operated by Botanica, Inc. a non-profit 501(c)3.
The gardens include: an aquatic collection; butterfly garden and 2,880 square foot (270 m
2) butterfly house featuring
pansy exhibits during the winter; greenhouse for tropical plants;
juniper collection with more than 30 types of junipers;
peony
The peony or paeony () is any flowering plant in the genus ''Paeonia'', the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. Peonies are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America. Scientists differ on the number of species that can be distinguish ...
collection of 104 cultivars;
pinetum; rock garden with
sedum and
sempervivum;
rose
A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...
garden with more than 350 rose plants; sensory garden; Shakespearean garden; woodlands with
azaleas,
dogwoods,
elm,
hackberry,
honey locust,
mulberry,
osage orange
''Maclura pomifera'', commonly known as the Osage orange ( ), is a small deciduous tree or large shrub, native to the south-central United States. It typically grows about tall. The distinctive fruit, a multiple fruit that resembles an immatur ...
, and
redbuds; and
Xeriscape demonstration garden.
Botanica opened the Downing Children's Garden in July 2011 and features several themed areas including the monster woods, salamander stream, granddaddy's musical maze, a rainbow and sunflower fountain and plaza.
A new events center opened in 2014 which will hold 299 people in chairs or 240 at tables. The inspiration for it came from the wood-and-glass Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. “It’s not a church but it can give that feeling, particularly when you have something spiritual like a wedding. It has that ambience.” Botanica hosts more than 200 weddings a year, bringing in about 27 percent of its revenue, but it wasn't built with such rentals in mind.
In May 2014, it was announced the 1949
Allan Herschell Company carousel from the former
Joyland Amusement Park was donated to the Botanica and would be placed in the Downing Children's Garden.
''Botanica raises money for Chinese garden, turns focus to Joyland merry-go-round''; The Wichita Eagle; September 29, 2014.
/ref>
See also
* List of botanical gardens in the United States
References
External links
*
* , from ''Hatteberg's People'' on KAKE
KAKE (channel 10) is a television station in Wichita, Kansas, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group. The station's studios are located on West Street in northwestern Wichita, and its transmitter is located i ...
TV news
Botanical gardens in Kansas
Culture of Wichita, Kansas
Geography of Wichita, Kansas
Tourist attractions in Wichita, Kansas
Protected areas of Sedgwick County, Kansas
1987 establishments in Kansas
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