On the way home after spending a week in Branson, we stopped at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis. The last time we went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens was back in the spring of 2014! When we were there the first time they were under a lot of construction creating their new Japanese garden. I remember standing on a bench, peaking over the construction site to get a glimpse of it. I was so disappointed it wasn't completed when I was there, so I vowed to come back another time to see it.
Going to the botanical gardens during a different time of year creates a whole new experience. The first time we went it was spring so I saw a lot of bulbs and
magnolia trees. And it felt wonderful to be there because I went from a cold climate, where there were no flowers yet at all, to a warmer climate that was bursting with new life. So I enjoyed my first visit much more than my return visit, but we will discuss that more later. For now, I'm going to walk you through the gardens one section at a time beginning with the "
Climatron"
Climatron
The Climatron is a
geodesic dome that has no interior support allowing for more light and space per square foot for plants. It rises 70 feet in the center, spans 175 feet in diameter at the base, and encloses approximately 24,000 square feet.
Visitors experience dense green foliage, a small native hut,
sparkling waterfalls, rocky cliffs, a
river aquarium filled with fish, and a bridge from which the forest canopy can be viewed.
I really loved this blown glass artwork. Isn't it beautiful? They are shaped like
Herons.
I absolutely loved this peaceful, beautiful place. I love to go to places like this in the dead of winter when it's freezing outside!
Aren't these trumpet shaped flowers stunning?
I really loved all the waterfalls in the Climatron. The sound was so soothing.
Children's Garden
Next, we visited the
Children's Garden which was below and behind the Climatron. We just walked through it briefly to see if it was a place that we'd ever want to bring the grandchildren to someday.
It was more of a play area, than a garden, but they sure had a lot of fun activities for the little ones, like this
suspension bridge!
Japanese Garden
Well, now the time finally arrived for me to visit the
Japanese garden I've been dreaming about for over ten years! And, I ended up becoming extremely disappointed. I've always loved Japanese gardens but the Missouri one was so disappointing. It was basically just a lovely walking path around a large lake with an island and a bridge leading to it. And the worst part was you couldn't cross the bridge to get to the island. It is closed off to the public and is open one day a year during their
Japanese Festival to specific people. Wow. What is up with that?
Now don't get me wrong, it is lovely, but after visiting the
Anderson Japanese Gardens, rated consistently as one of the best Japanese gardens in America, the Missouri Japanese garden is a disappointment.
And to be able to see this lovely bridge but not be able to cross it, is just wrong. I LOVED the Anderson Japanese garden in
Rockford, Illinois and they had lots of beautiful bridges like this one visitors could walk across.
And the worst part is, it's a long walk around the lake so a lot of visitors who are not in the best of health, would not even be able to enjoy this garden. When you already have to walk around a huge botanical garden and then have to walk around a huge lake, that's a lot of steps in a day. And what is the purpose? Just to get another view of the lake from the other side? The design of this garden is just stupid. Thumbs down.😆
Lichtenstein Victorian District
The
Lichtenstein Victorian District features traditional
Victorian plantings alongside the Gardens oldest and most historically relevant structures. I remember the first time visiting the Missouri Botanical Gardens this was one of my favorite places and it still is. The
Kresco Family Victorian Garden is always an impressive site!
The
Tower Grove House is open to the public, but for some reason is NEVER open when we are there, even though it is supposed to be, so we've never been able to go inside, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. 😆. Their hours are "Open Wednesday - Sunday 10-4 April - October." We were there in April 2024 on a Sunday and they were closed. We returned eleven years later, on a Saturday in September, and guess what? They were closed. 😜. I just don't get it.
Anyway, this gorgeous home was built in 1849 and was the home of
Henry Shaw. Inside the home are supposed to be exhibits of about the people who made the garden grow. Behind the house, enclosed by a large ornate metal fence is the
St. Louis Herb Society Herb Garden. It features beds of culinary and medicinal herbs in imitation of Shaws kitchen garden.
Directly east of the house is the Victorian garden I mentioned above. At its center is a large white marble statue of
Juno.
The
Mausoleum is the final resting place of garden founder Henry Shaw. It's made of
red granite with a stone foundation. It was constructed two years before he died.
A white marble sculpture of Henry Shaw lying in state is enclosed within the mausoleum.
Central Axis
The area directly across from the Climatron is one of my favorite spots in the Missouri Botanical Gardens. These are formal gardens, encased by boxwood with three large reflective ponds in the center filled with water lilies and sculptures. The beds change with the season. The last time we were here they were filled with spring bulbs, on our return trip they had beautiful displays of autumn annuals.
Kemper Center for Home Gardening
Another area of the Missouri Botanical Garden that I really enjoyed was the
Kemper Center for Home Gardening. This area is a series of display gardens that offer practical tips and ideas for your own garden! I even got a great idea for my tomatoes next year by viewing it here!
I fell in love with this bright
red celosia. I wish I could grow this stuff, but my growing season isn't hot enough nor long enough for this plant.
I was so impressed with this
hyacinth bean covered trellis. Isn't that incredible. I was able to grow this vine ONE TIME in my garden. It was so gorgeous, but the next year, it never bloomed. So strange.
Here's what the flowers of this gorgeous vine look like close up.
Boxwood Gardens
The Boxwood Gardens are surrounded by a gorgeous brick wall and features a gazebo and fountains. The garden contains over 60 varieties of boxwood.
Glade Garden
A glade is an opening in the forest canopy typically found on a west or southward facing slope It is characterized by thin, rocky soil, full sun, and extreme drought. If you have a spot in your yard that sounds like this, only the strongest grasses, sedges, and wildflowers can survive these desert-like conditions.
Butterfly Meadow
The Butterfly Meadow is an area filled with plants that attract butterflies.
And here is one of those gorgeous pollinators!
Chinese Garden
I liked the Chinese Garden better than the Japanese Garden. It is very small, but filled with interest and bridges you could actually cross. 😂. The bridge is made of marble.
The pond is filled with five stones that symbolize the five sacred mountains in China.
The pavilion has a massive ceramic tile roof that has a dramatic swooping shape.
Just look at the size of this tropical plant my husband is sitting under! Wow!
The Chinese Garden is enclosed by white walls with "windows". These windows are "eyes" of the garden. The top of the wall is a "dragon ripple".
Guarding the entrance to the Chinese Garden are two scary looking sculptures. Be careful when you walk past...they might eat you! 😉
Near the Linnean House
In front of the Linnean House are some of my most favorite gardens in this botanical garden. First of all, I love this gateway. I loved it the first time I saw it in 2014 and I really loved it again in 2025. Just amazing, isn't it?
The Linnean House was built in 1882 and is an example of late-Victorian orangery. It was originally used to house citrus and other cold sensitive plants. It is the only remaining greenhouse from the days of Henry Shaw. Today it holds collections of traditional conservatory plants such as tropical fruits, palms, cycads, ferns, succulents, and cacti.
Can you believe this annual bed? Oh my goodness, I love how they created a pattern with these plants. I would love to do that in my own yard, but I could never get it to look like this. Amazing!
Ottoman Garden
The Ottoman Garden is a unique garden because it carries on a little-known tradition of the Ottomans. There are no surviving examples of this type which was developed between the 16th and 19th century in what is now known as Turkey. Plantings in this garden feature plants that would have typically been grown in an imperial garden at that time: citrus, fragrant fruits, roses, bulbs, herbs, pomegranate and colorful annuals and perennials.
The garden is enclosed on all sides by a stucco wall and features a water fountain in the center.
Sensory Garden
Designed to engage all the senses..sight, sound, taste, and touch, the sensory garden entices both young and old at heart. I loved this sculpture of wind chimes in this garden.
Arid House
We had one last garden to visit before we left and that was the Arid House. If you can handle the dry heat, this is not to be missed because it is gorgeous!
You will see a large collection of cacti, succulents, and other arid plants snuggled amongst some incredible middle eastern architecture in a 8,900 square foot space.
Isn't that mosaic tile floor incredible? And do you see my hubby patiently waiting on the bench? 😂 This was our last stop of the day, and he was pretty pooped at this point.
And that concludes my last post from our road trip to Branson, Missouri. Next week I am going to take a break because it is Thanksgiving week and I will have all my kids and grandkids with me...fun times! We have tickets to see Wicked: For Good, plus were going to the Christmas Parade...I can't wait.
Have A Great Week and a Blessed Thanksgiving! Amy
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