There is something magical about visiting a big, perfectly cultivated garden that brings an enchanting and calming feeling. America's most beautiful botanical gardens offer a chance to connect with nature and relax and have a good time.
Whether you need a break or a good selfie or just want to take in the season, it's worth visiting a botanical garden close to your hometown or while traveling. I promise you won't regret it.
Here's my list:
Credit: 10 Facts About Earth Goddess, AtlantaMagazine.com
1. Atlanta Botanical Garden in Atlanta, Georgia USA
Skyscrapers surround the most storied place in this city in the heart of midtown Atlanta. This friends, is my favorite botanical garden in the world. There is an orchid center boasting the largest collection of orchid species on permanent display in the United States, a garden pond with aquatic plants, a 600-foot-long-canopy walk under oak, hickory and poplar branches that overlooks native camellias, hydrangeas, azaleas, perennials and bulbs and a children's garden with fountains, sculptures and fun exhibits on botany and ecology.
There is also a 25-foot Earth Goddess sculputer (see photo above) that has more than 18,000 annuals to keep you oooh-ing and ahhh-ing. There is so much to take in here with a score of exhibitions that run year-round, events like Summer Party and the Great Pumpkin Carving Festival that we love to attend and tons of garden-inspired classes that'll teach you everything from sketching to cooing to origami to all sorts of things. I, myself, have taught a wreath, living jewelry with succulents, pumpkin with succulents classes. There are so many good ones!
2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York City, New York, USA
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden sits serenely in the heart of NYC. This location features a Japanese Garden and cherry blossoms in the spring There are over 52 acres and more than 14,000 plants.
Credit: Atlas Obscura
3. United States Botanic Garden, Washington, D.C., USA
The oldest continuously operating public garden in the country, the United States Botanic Garden is located on the United States Capitol grounds near Garfield Circle. It has roots going back to visions by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Today you'll find an impressive assortment of more than 50,000 plants, with special collections including orchids, native plants, medicinal, economic and food plants, rare and endangered species, some historic plants dating back to 1842, roses, cacti and desert plants, carnivorous plants, and more.
Here you will find a conservatory with desert and tropical environments, perfect for staying warm during the winter. In the springtime, the garden opens up its 34-greenhouse, 85,000-square-foot production facility in Anacostia (Southeast DC) so visitors can see the massive operation that supports the national garden. And because the founding fathers would've wanted it this way, the whole thing is free!
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