A little bit of nature just outside of Austin, Texas, the Zilker Botanical Garden is full of beauty. It features several varieties of 'Austin-hardy' plants, which thrive with little water. Visitors can traipse across wooden foot bridges, along brick-paved walkways, past lily-pad ponds, around rock waterfalls, and under large tree canopies.
This peaceful paradise covers 13 hectares of space in Austin and is composed of many lush and varied gardens. The Green Garden is set up to educate visitors and locals on how to keep their plants and flowers flourishing in diverse weather conditions. The Isamu Taniguchi Japanese Garden was designed by a volunteer landscape artist who spent 18 months working on its design. The ponds within it spell out Austin and can be seen from above in local buildings—Taniguchi’s gift to the city. The Japanese Teahouse offers sensational views of the Austin skyline, and the Togetsu-kyo Bridge is designed so that the moon reflects off the water and follows visitors over the bridge when it is high in the night sky. This garden features several Japanese maples and abundant koi fish in the pond and streams and waterfalls.
For a real treat when travelling with children, explore the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, which features preserved dinosaur tracks. There are more than 100 imprints left by six or seven creatures who roamed this area more than 100 million years ago. Check out the bones of an ancient turtle or the life-sized sculpture of an Ornithomimus, the three-toed dinosaur which left its footprints in what is now the botanical garden. This is the only garden in the Zilker Botanical Gardens which is exclusively dedicated to ancient plant life.
The Zilker Botanical Gardens hosts many special events including the Zilker Garden Festival, an annual spring garden extravaganza. Be sure to check out their website to see what is going on during your visit to Austin. When you decide to visit, be sure to grab a map and set aside an afternoon to explore all this natural beauty in the heart of Austin, Texas.
