Pass the Time in a Botanical Garden This Spring

Grab your parasol and step into the sunshine.

Part of the thrill of Texas wildflowers in the spring is their defiant nature, appearing inexplicably on dusty highway medians or in patches at the bottom of grassy ditches, a seeming impossibility in such hostile territory. Their very wildness compels us, whereas the fussy landscapes of botanical gardens are unsettlingly perfect and indicate far too much effort. But the history of botanical gardens tells us that perfection is kind of the point…

Pictured: Woman in gardens at Texas State Hospital, photograph, date unknown.
Credit: Portal to Texas History

From Ancient Egypt to Texas

With origins that can be traced to the temple gardens of Ancient Egypt where enemy flora was displayed as trophies of war, later, the royal garden took on sacred qualities as its creators attempted to carve out an earthly paradise. The manicured landscape we now think of as unoriginal or constrained harkens back to mystical numerology, in which the number 4 (4 directions, 4 corners, 4 seasons) takes on symbolic meaning.

As science found its intellectual footing during the Renaissance, the emergent understanding of herbs and spices for medicinal use transformed the botanical garden from a meditative space to a utilitarian one. The shaman or priest became the herbalist, then the pharmacist.

It wasn’t until global exploration exploded during the following centuries that the botanical garden began to look more like the botanical gardens we know of today. With each new shipful of exotic plants that arrived at port, the public’s curiosity for a world outside their own only grew stronger. Even the tourism industry flourished with travelogues conveying tales of scientific voyages halfway around the world!

Postcard of Sunken Garden in San Antonio, Texas, Date Unknown.
Credit: Portal to Texas History

Botanophiles In Our Midst

As with anything else, what was for the public relegated to a mere fascination, the wealthy could pursue as a full time hobby. A spell of “botanophilia” hypnotized high society, encouraged by a proliferation of botanical media, such as illustrated periodicals and plant dictionaries.

Today, of course, these spaces can be enjoyed by almost anyone, but the heritage traveler knows that half of the fun is the history. Roadside wildflowers may be a small marvel, but there’s an echo of the ancient past in the lines and proportions that define a formal garden. The orderliness is meant to be sacred, not stiff, and the functions it serves, from research to recreation, are remnants of the passing interests of humans over the course of thousands of years. Take this history with you and find a botanical garden nearby while the riot of color lasts.

The good news is you’re bound to see some roadside flowers on your way there.

Preview a selection of gardens below or access the map of botanical gardens and begin adding sites to your itinerary!


View the Map.

A Selection of Gardens in Texas

Source: The origins of botanic gardens and their relation to plant science, with special reference to horticultural botany and cultivated plant taxonomy

Author

Mallory Laurel

Special Projects Coordinator