Western Colorado Botanical Gardens
Encyclopedia
The Western Colorado Botanical Gardens 12 acres (49,000 m²) are botanical garden
s located at the southern end of 7th Street in Grand Junction, Colorado
, USA
. The gardens are public, and financed by admission fees and donations. Founded in 1994, The Gardens have been dramatically increasing the size of the facility since 2003.
The Gardens have reclaimed a downtown site previously filled with thousands of used tires, junk car parts, and dead batteries. The debris has been replaced with a 4000 square foot (370 m²) greenhouse and butterfly house, featuring over 600 orchids and other tropical plants from around the world. A variety of outdoor gardens have been developed and/or planned, including a Cactus and Succulent Garden, Children's Secret Garden, Harmony In Color Garden, International Garden, Native Garden, Seasonal Xeric Garden, and Sensory Garden.
The Native Garden is a miniature replica of Colorado
's Grand Valley
, including the Grand Mesa
, the Colorado National Monument
and Mount Garfield, with plantings related to the 13 geological zones of Western Colorado.
The Cactus
and Succulent Garden displays native cactus species, as well as other cold-hardy cactus and succulent plants.
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
s located at the southern end of 7th Street in Grand Junction, Colorado
Grand Junction, Colorado
The City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The gardens are public, and financed by admission fees and donations. Founded in 1994, The Gardens have been dramatically increasing the size of the facility since 2003.
The Gardens have reclaimed a downtown site previously filled with thousands of used tires, junk car parts, and dead batteries. The debris has been replaced with a 4000 square foot (370 m²) greenhouse and butterfly house, featuring over 600 orchids and other tropical plants from around the world. A variety of outdoor gardens have been developed and/or planned, including a Cactus and Succulent Garden, Children's Secret Garden, Harmony In Color Garden, International Garden, Native Garden, Seasonal Xeric Garden, and Sensory Garden.
The Native Garden is a miniature replica of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
's Grand Valley
Grand Valley (Colorado)
The Grand Valley is an extended populated valley, approximately 30 miles long and 5 miles wide, located along the Colorado River in Mesa County in western Colorado and Grand County, Utah in the United States. The valley contains the city of Grand Junction, as well as other smaller communities...
, including the Grand Mesa
Grand Mesa
The Grand Mesa is a large mesa in western Colorado in the United States. It has an area of about and stretches for about east of Grand Junction between the Colorado River and the Gunnison River, its tributary to the south. The north side of the mesa is drained largely by Plateau Creek, a...
, the Colorado National Monument
Colorado National Monument
- Trails :The Monument contains many hiking trails, with lengths and difficulties to suit all tastes. Summer storms can cause flash floods as well as dangerous trail conditions. Rattlesnakes are found on the Monument, and rough terrain exists everywhere, but most trails are well-maintained...
and Mount Garfield, with plantings related to the 13 geological zones of Western Colorado.
The Cactus
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
and Succulent Garden displays native cactus species, as well as other cold-hardy cactus and succulent plants.