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Amarillo Botanical Gardens

Submitted by on June 14, 2021 – 8:22 amNo Comment
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Japanese Garden, Amarillo Botanical Garden, TexasThere’s something new at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive, Amarillo, Texas — a multi-level Japanese Garden overlooking a koi fish pond.

The Botanical Gardens include 4.4 acres of flowers, plants, and trees that accentuate each season.

Summer hours (now through October 1) are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. General admission is $5 for adults and children 6 and over, and $4 for seniors 60+. Children 5 and under are admitted free. Music in the Gardens summer concerts take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays through September 23, 2021; admission is $10.

According to the garden website, it all began in 1929 when a group of women banded together to create the first garden club of Amarillo. They set out to prove gardening was possible in the challenging high plains of Texas. The environment and soil of the local area tested their knowledge as they sought out plants that could survive drought, windy conditions, and extensive sun. Soil amending was mandatory to loosen heavy soils and improve pH. After many years, they started tackling numerous city beautification projects.

By 1945, 125 members belonged to the Amarillo Garden Club. With varied interests and goals, the group divided into 13 garden clubs and societies over the next 10 years. Amarillo Botanical Garden, Texas

In 1954, under the direction of Vera Deason, the Garden Center was formed in Memorial Park as a home to the various garden clubs and their activities. Later, around 1960, a new home for the Garden Center was sought that provided more space for test gardens and the addition of classes for the handicapped. Then in 1968, after years of fundraising, the new Garden Center was dedicated at the current location in the Medical Center Park.

The garden clubs and other volunteers tackled amending and preparing the soil for landscaping. They made thousands of cuttings to fill the gardens, started seeds, and also brought plants from their homes to fill the new sizeable Garden Center spaces.

Jane Meyers guided the clubs and volunteers giving vision to the gardens as Director from 1979 to 1992. Jackie Wilson, as Executive Director from 1992-2007, guided the transition from Garden Center into the Amarillo Botanical Gardens. Under her purvie, the original buildings were expanded, the Mary E. Bivins Tropical Conservatory was built, and new programs such as the summer Music in the Gardens began.

The Amarillo Botanical Gardens are located in Amarillo’s sprawling medical complex on the Northwest side of town. Amarillo Botanical Garden, Texas

(Photos courtesy of Amarillo Botanical Gardens)

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