The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Has anyone been to the botanical gardens recently?  I am curious as to what progress has been made.  I guess I need to head out there and see for myself.  I was just in Austin and went hiking along the Barton Creek greenbelt.  It reminded me a lot of that area in the Osage Hills, and could be just as popular as Barton Creek is in Austin once the gardens are in place. 

There is a valley next to this park where Bigheart Creek drops from just under 1000 ft. to around 700 ft. north of Hwy 412 and then into the Arkansas River.  It would be cool to see hiking trails through that 'greenbelt' similar to what they have done in Austin along some of their creeks in the hills.

Back in October the gardens opened third major installation (first being the ponds, second being the center) - the flower terraces. Klondike 5 played, but I still couldn't make it out there.

Over the summer my son and I went out to see what was going on out there - lots of planting on a 1/2 mile section around the pond. Another couple miles of trails in the back of the property that is just prairie. Some neat signs and lots of potential. But as of yet, if I get out there once a year I'm probably covered.

The reason I'm reviving this thread is because I had a thought over lunch. Reading a renewed interest in the Fin Tube site I wondered:
Why didn't we put the gardens there?

Unused land that needs to be re-purposed. Heavy City/Government involvement in whatever goes in there eventually anyway. Good view of downtown. Easy access for already touristy areas.

Why was that not considered?

I know there is a bunch of work going into it. I'm sure those involved are really trying hard with volunteer work, programming, and everything else.  But where it is located, the only people that will ever see it are people who intentionally set out to go see the botanical gardens.

Children's Discovery Garden on Sunday
Children’s garden set to unveil on Sunday

Spitting turtles, whirling butterflies and a spring giant are just a few of the attractions that will bring the Children’s Discovery Garden to life during its grand opening Sunday at the Tulsa Botanic Garden.
The new addition is the second of several projects included in the Tulsa Botanic Garden’s Master Plan announced in 2012. The A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Floral Terraces, which opened in October, were the first completed project.
“The Children’s Discovery Garden stands at the same level of outstanding quality and breadth as the terraces and the same level of quality we hope to continue as we grow,” said Todd Lasseigne, botanic garden president and CEO.
On Tuesday, the final round of annuals was planted and fresh mulch was spread around the enclosed 2-acre garden before a private donor party where about 200 people visited the children’s garden before it opens to the public.
The garden’s public grand opening is 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, and admission will be free as part of the celebration.
Lasseigne expects to see many area families with children enjoy the garden with the school year coming to an end in the next few weeks. Though the garden features more than 350 types of plants and 7,500 total, many features in the space allow for children and parents to engage in teachable moments.
“There are so many stories to tell here. Children and parents can have fun looking at nature,” he said standing on the garden’s tree fort. “The whirligigs, for example, have bumblebees, butterflies and dragonflies. The bumblebees and butterflies are important because they’re pollinators, and the dragonflies are important for our aquatic system because they eat mosquitoes.”
A sensory garden near the entrance of the Children’s Discovery Garden is a space where children can feel lamb’s ear leaves, smell lavender, see how different kinds of plants grow and the way some can make noise. Just up a path to the north end of the garden is a 15-foot-tall spring giant that serves as the starting point for the Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation Stream Valley. Children can play inside the spring giant’s head where stalactites hang, and they can see through the giant’s mouth.
Behind the spring giant, metal drums and xylophones give children a chance to make music, while a slate wall offers an opportunity to make art with water instead of paint on a canvas. Lasseigne believes kids will really enjoy looking at bog bowls filled with Venus flytraps, sundews and pitcher plants. And the Eslicker/Bingham Family Meadow is home to the whirligigs, tree fort and amphitheater.
The tree fort surrounds a grove of post oaks on the south side of the children’s garden, sitting 6 feet above the ground where visitors can enjoy a beautiful vantage point of the garden and performances hosted at the children’s amphitheater below. Puppet shows and story time are two programs the garden will host in those spaces, and more will be added.
“You learn to grow into gardens like this,” Lasseigne said. “A year from now it might be completely different. So right now, we’re building programs around school groups, families and casual visitors.”
Lori Hutson, communications and programs director for the botanic garden, plans to create more activities for families and children throughout the year including self-guided activities and events.
Sunday’s grand opening will offer programs for Botanic Garden members only from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with garden tours, music, family crafts and yoga. At 3 p.m., the garden will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and family crafts will be available until 7 p.m. Food trucks will be set up from 1 to 6 p.m.
“Many people think of gardens as something for adults, but this is space we think everyone will enjoy,” she said.
Garden art from Lisa Regan, otherwise known as the Garden Deva, is spread around the garden in the form of signs, sculptures and entrances, and two hand-carved wood thrones by Clayton Coss are located on the deck of the tree fort.
“I’m not a kid anymore, but I think they’re going to like it,” Lasseigne said.
After the Children’s Discovery Garden opens, Tulsa Botanic Garden will shift gears to the next stage of the Master Plan, which includes the design of a multipurpose building, the Lotus Pool and All-Seasons Garden.

I went out there this weekend to see the progress.  Wow it has really come a long way!  Still lots to do and the plants need to mature but it will be incredible in about 5 years.  Nice place to go for a hike too. 

I never knew Tulsa had Botanical Gardens, it sounds like a great place.  Fort Worth, Texas  has some large Botanical Gardens, it's located off of University Drive across from Trinity Park, it's worth checking out, it's just north of where I-30 crosses University Drive.