Beautiful Tucson Botanical Gardens, 11/21/2019

With friends Liz and Mike, we visited the Tucson Botanical Gardens, despite the chilly weather. Entry to the gardens is through the Visitor Center and Gardens Gift Shop (where a map of the 18 specialty gardens is provided). 

First, we walked through the Cactus and Succulent Garden.  

And next, the serene Zen Garden.

The Cox Butterfly & Orchid Pavilion features tropical butterflies and plants (orchids, bromeliads, hibiscus and more)

And more butterflies…

I loved the tile work at the Herb Garden. It features a wide varied of herbs used for culinary and medicinal purposes.

And, I always love a beautiful bird-of-paradise bloom and the bright red berries of the Mojave pyracantha. Fruit trees can be found throughout the gardens. 

This hawk was perched on a branch in the garden keeping a sharp out for prey. And I was startled by the velociraptor (ha ha). The cat (with help from the hawk) keep down the rodent population in the gardens. 

Fanciful sculptures and traditional fountains enhance the beauty of the gardens. I even got a smooch from my husband in front of the fish (I am a pisces!)

In the Xeriscape Garden, we saw some interesting cacti that I had never seen before. The cactus in the center is Opuntia microdasys, sometimes called polka-dot cactus. Mexican fence post cactus, strange-looking boojum tree, and golden barrel cactus are also shown.

I was happy to catch a photo of a couple of butterflies in the Pollinator Garden. 

An art exhibit in the Legacy Gallery featured unique and delicate light fixtures. Below are the following: Summer Botanical Pendant; Cherry Blossom Pendants; mixed media paintings by Ryan Smith; Staghorn Fern (light); and Butterfly Mobile. Gorgeous!

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the beautiful and creative gardens here. Admission is $13/seniors ($15 adults). Leashed dogs are permitted June through September for a fee of $3. For additional information including hours of operation, garden tours (included in price of admission), and classes/programs, go to www.tucsonbotanical.org.