Idaho Gardens

 Idaho Botanical Gardens: 2355 N. Penitentiary Road, Boise, ID 83712  (208)343-8649.

The 50 acre garden site, formerly a farm and nursery of the State Penitentiary, is organized into a series of gardens, including The Children's Garden (planted by local school children), The Nature Trail (3/4 mile featuring native vegetation), The Meditation Garden (the former prison nursery), the Historical Iris Garden (displaying most of Dyke's Medal winning varieties dating back to the 1920s), the Jane Falk Oppenheimer Heirloom Rose Garden (in old fashioned perennial garden setting), the Butterfly/ Hummingbird Garden and the Herb Garden. Features include a Bell Tower, a geothermal well used to water the gardens, and a Plaza fountain.

 Idaho State Arboretum: Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID

The web site gives a pictorial tour of campus trees with information about each variety.

 Julia Davis Regional Park: 700 S. Capitol Boulevard, Boise, ID (208)384-4240.

This impressive 87-acre park (one of Boise's Ribbons of Jewels) contains not only a lagoon and rose gardens, but is also home to the Zoo Boise, the Idaho Historical Museum, the Boise Art Museum, the Discovery Center of Idaho, a playground and a band shell. Picnicking and boat rentals complete your visit.

 Shattuck Arboretum and the University of Idaho Arboretum & Botanical Garden:

University of Idaho, 109-110 Alumni Center, Moscow, ID 83844-3226 (208)885-6250.

One of western North America's oldest university woody plant collections, the 14 acre Shattuck Arboretum (southwest of Administration Building) claims some of the the finest old specimen trees in the Northern Rocky Mountain area (i.e., Giant Sequoia, California Incense Cedar, American Beech, and Scotch Maple). The newer 65 acre University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Garden (southward from the President's residence on Nez Perce Drive to Palouse River Drive West) is divided into sections: Display Gardens and office/visitor center (11 acres), Geographical blocks including Asian (17 acres), Western North America (16 acres), Eastern North America (9 acres) and European (5 acres) plantings. Current work is proceeding on designated groves and plantings including the Centennial Oak Grove, Asian and European lilacs, Western North American conifers, planting of aspens, red and sugar maples, Ginkgo and Asian derived crabapples.