Friends of the Garden
New Botanical Center Opens in October
In just a few short weeks, Springfield will have a new attraction featuring flora and fauna.
The Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center at Nathanael Greene|Close Memorial Park opens in October and a variety of activities are planned to celebrate. Festivities October 11-17 include: garden, food and art workshops; seminars; live music and garden tours for adults; sing-a-long, story time and crafts for kids.
Call 417-864-1049 or visit www.parkboard.org for more information as it becomes available.
The center is a 12,700-square-foot building set into a hillside in the 55-acre Close Memorial Park, which adjoins the 59-acre Nathanael Greene Park. The parks, referred to jointly as Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, share a common entrance at 2400 S. Scenic Ave.
The center contains classroom, meeting, rental and exhibit space; an elevated plaza entrance and roof garden; a combination gift shop and library; and offices for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, University of Missouri Extension's Greene County office, MU Extension's chapter of Master Gardeners of Greene County andFriends of the Garden. MU Extension will offer a Plant Doctor Diagnostics lab as well as a help hotline for lawn and garden questions.
In conjunction with the center opening, the site will include a NatureGrounds® demonstration site, a unique play environment made with PlayCore®. This venue will offer "School Park Curriculum" developed by PlayCore® that incorporates nature and play.
A 20-year master plan for the Botanical Center calls for the building to be surrounded by botanical gardens and an arboretum containing all of Missouri's native trees.
Existing gardens include: the Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens, the White Garden, the Butterfly Garden, the English Garden, the Federated Garden Clubs Garden, and individual gardens devoted to dwarf conifers, dogwoods, flowering shrubs, hostas, daylilies, iris, lilies, native shrubs and wildflowers, ornamental grasses, peonies, roses, redbuds, columbine, native prairie and viburnums.
Future Gardens may include, but are not limited to: Biblical Garden, Bulb and Tuber Garden, Conservatory, Freedom Garden, Heritage Garden, Perennial Garden, Secret Garden, Sensory Garden, Terrace Garden, Victorian Garden, Pendula Garden, Wetland Garden, Winter Garden, and individual gardens devoted to azaleas, conifers, ferns, flowering trees, Japanese maples, and magnolias.
Additional attractions in Nathanael Greene|Close Memorial Park are Lake Drummond; the Host Lions Club History Walk; a children's playground; picnic areas with grills; pavilions; statuary; scenic walkways; and the nationally designated South Creek Greenway Trail.
Seasonal Gardens include: The Dr. Bill Roston Native Butterfly House open weekends 10 a.m.-6:00 p.m., mid-May-September; The Gray-Campbell Farmstead weekends 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., May-September; and the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll garden open 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Thursday- Monday April-October. Adult admission for the stroll garden is $3, and free to members of Friends of the Garden. All other attractions are free. Special guided tours are available by calling: 417-864-1049.
For an enhanced visitor experience, users are encouraged to find out more about the plants and gardens by dialing 417-213-3016 followed by a garden corresponding number and # key. The service provided by Guide By Cell®, offers round-the-clock garden interpretation. Look for signage at each garden area or download this informational brochure on the Botanical Center & Gardens which includes a map of the park and the self guided audio tour, click here.
Photos of the botanical gardens and additional information can be found at friendsofthegarden.org.
