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St. Louis Metro Parks & Nature

Gardens & Parks Beyond Missouri

These are some of the beautiful gardens and scenic parks in other states that I have had the opportunity to visit and photograph. Some of my favorites include the serene Bellingrath Gardens & Home in Alabama, the vibrant McKee Botanical Garden and Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens in Florida, and the breathtaking New Orleans Botanical Garden. Cheekwood Estate & Gardens is amazing when the tulips are blooming in the spring.

While gardens are always a highlight of my travels, I’ve also enjoyed exploring natural spaces including the Hartman Arboretum in Evansville, Indiana, and the Environmental Learning Center in Vero Beach, Florida as well as a few others. This collection will continue to grow as I explore and capture more incredible places across the country.

Alabama

Plants along a path in the Cornerstone Gardens in Mobile, AL.

Cornerstone Gardens
1066 Government St.
Mobile, AL
gardens, koi pond, waterfall

A path through palm trees and tropical plants at the Mobile Botanical Garden in Mobile, AL.

A large ornate waterfall at the Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Theodore, AL.

Arkansas

Natural waterfall over large rocks at the Tanyard Creek Nature Trail in Bella Vista, AR.

Tanyard Creek Nature Trail
Waterfall Trail
Bella Vista, AR
2-mile trail, creek, waterfalls

Daffodils around decorate butterfly chairs at the Peel Museum & Botanical Garden in Bentonville, AR.

Peel Museum & Botanical Garden
400 S Walton Blvd.
Bentonville, AR
6 gardens, apple orchard
gardens map

Plants around a small waterfall at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks in Fayetteville, AR.

Botanical Garden of the Ozarks
4703 N Crossover Rd.
Fayetteville, AR
8 acres
12 theme gardens

Florida

Flowers and tropical plants at the Escambia County Extension Garden in Cantonment, FL.

Escambia County Extension Garden
3740 Stefani Rd.
Cantonment, FL
demonstration gardens

Palm trees and fountains at the Heathcote Botanical Gardens in Fort Pierce, FL.

Heathcote Botanical Gardens
210 Savannah Rd.
Fort Pierce, FL
specialty gardens
map

Tropical scenery around a lake at the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville, FL.

Beautiful reflection of palm trees in a lake at the Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, FL.

Bok Tower Gardens
1151 Tower Blvd.
Lake Wales, FL
gardens, trails, tower with carillon
gardens map

A covered bridge among palm trees at the Patterson Botanical Garden in Melbourne, FL.

Floral display at the Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, FL.

A path with stairs in a palm forest at the Ormond Beach Memorial Gardens in Ormond Beach, FL.

Ormond Memorial Gardens
78 E Granada Blvd.
Ormond Beach, FL
walkways, gardens, water features
gardens map

Palm tree and plants at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens in Port St. Lucie, FL.

Unique decorative fountains at Rock City Gardens in Sebastian, FL.

Rock City Gardens
9080 US-1
Sebastian, FL
7 acres
display gardens

A boardwalk in a mangrove grove at the Environmental Learning Center in Vero Beach, FL.

Environmental Learning Center
255 Live Oak Dr.
Vero Beach, FL
64 acres
lagoon, mangrove swamp, trails

Lush grove of palm trees at the McKee Botanical Garden in Vero Beach, FL.

McKee Botanical Garden
78 E Granada Blvd.
Vero Beach, FL
80 acres
gardens, ponds, trails

Spanish moss over azalea bushes in the Kraft Azalea Garden in Winter Park, FL.

Kraft Azalea Garden
1365 Alabama Dr.
Winter Park, FL
5.22 acres
azalea and camellia gardens

Palm trees and tropical plants along a path at the Mead Botanical Garden in Winter Park, FL.

Palm trees in the Albin Polasek Sculpture Garden in Winter Park, FL.

Albin Polasek Sculpture Garden
633 Osceola Ave.
Winter Park, FL
home, gallery & sculpture gardens

Georgia

Colorful display of tulips at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Atlanta, GA.

Pink camellia blooming at Massee Lane Gardens in Fort Valley, GA.

Winter trees in the Smith-Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw, GA.

Smith-Gilbert Gardens
2382 Pine Mountain Rd.
Kennesaw, GA
17 acres
gardens, trails, waterfall

Illinois

Flowers along a path at the Schaub Floral Display Gardens in Decatur, IL.

Schaub Floral Display Garden
3415 E Lost Bridge Rd.
Decatur, IL
gardens and greenhouse

A unique waterfall at the Scoville Oriental Garden in Decatur, IL.

Scoville Oriental Garden
71 S Country Club Rd.
Decatur, IL
small garden, waterfall, koi pond

Beautiful flowers along paths at Southwind Park in Springfield, IL.

Southwind Park
4965 S 2nd St.
Springfield, IL
80 acres
gardens, lake, wetlands, paths

Flower gardens, fountain and carillon at the Washington Park Botanical Garden in Springfield, IL.

Washington Park Botanical Garden
1740 W Fayette Ave.
Springfield, IL
20 acres
gardens, conservatory, carillon

Indiana

Expansive green lawn and trees at the Hartman Arboretum in Evansville, IN.

Hartman Arboretum
6001A Spirit Trail
Evansville, IN
arboretum, gardens, pond

Flowers around a sculpture in the SWIMGA Display Garden in Evansville, IN.

SWIMGA Display Garden
3501 E Lloyd Expwy.
Evansville, IN
1.2 acres
gardens, sculptures, waterfall

Kansas

Plants and trees in early fall at the Overland Park Arboretum in Overland Park, KS.

Kentucky

Formal garden with a pergola at the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden in Owensboro, KY.

Louisiana

Lovely pink crape myrtle over a beautiful fountain in the New Orleans Botanical Garden in New Orleans, LA.

Mississippi

A decorative wall and fountain at the Wister Gardens in Belzoni, MS.

Wister Gardens
1440 MS-7
Belzoni, MS
14 acres
gardens, fountain, lake

Decorative waterfall with a two-tiered pond at The Art Garden in Jackson, MS.

Historic house surrounded by trees at the Eudora Welty House & Garden in Jackson, MS.

Eudora Welty House & Garden
1109 Pinehurst St.
Jackson, MS
historic home, backyard garden

A tropical pond with a fountain at the Mynelle Gardens in Jackson, MS.

Mynelle Gardens
4736 Clinton Blvd.
Jackson, MS
7 acres
gardens, paths, lake

Raised beds in the Veterans Memorial Rose Garden on the campus of Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS.

Veterans Memorial Rose Garden
Highway 182
(Mississippi State University)
Starkville, MS
30 varieties of roses

Flowers around the sign and a bridge at the Magnolia Botanical Garden in Verona, MS.

Magnolia Botanical Garden
5421 MS-145
Verona, MS
(Mississippi State Extension)
demonstration gardens

Oklahoma

A decorative gate and building at the entrance to the Lendonwood Gardens in Grove, OK.

Overview of tropical plants in the Crystal Bridge Conservatory at the Myriad Botanical Gardens in Oklahoma City, OK.

Plants around a path leading to the conservatory at the Will Rogers Gardens in Oklahoma City, OK.

Will Rogers Gardens
3400 NW 36th St.
Oklahoma City, OK
30 acres
gardens, arboretum, conservatory

Villa Philbrook reflected in a pond in the gardens at the Philbrook Gardens in Tulsa, OK.

Plants along the stairs at a multi-tiered waterfall at the Tulsa Botanic Garden in Tulsa, OK.

Tulsa Botanic Garden
3900 Tulsa Botanic Dr.
Tulsa, OK
60 acres
gardens, water features

Plants around a small waterfall in a pond at Woodward Park & Gardens in Tulsa, OK.

Woodward Park & Gardens
2435 S Peoria Ave.
Tulsa, OK
45 acres
park & gardens map

Tennessee

Flower garden outside the conservatory at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens in Memphis, TN.

Dixon Gallery & Gardens
4339 Park Ave.
Memphis, TN
gardens & conservatory

A lovely pergola and fountain at the Memphis Botanic Garden in Memphis, TN.

Expansive field of tulips at the Cheekwood Estate & Gardens in Nashville, TN.