Visit Memphis Botanic Gardens For A Beautiful Afternoon
The Memphis Botanic Gardens have a long history. The gardens were founded in 1819 by John Overton, James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson when they also founded the City of Memphis.
Originally the gardens were to be named Bluebird Park but it was decided that the park area would be named after naturalist John James Audubon. There was already a smaller park inside the city named Audubon and a decision was made to call the new park Audubon and the smaller park Bluebird - which is now known as Tobey Park.
A great boost was given to the park in 1953 when over 2000 iris rhizomes from the gardens of Mrs. Morgan Ketchum were given to the park and the Ketchum Memorial Iris Garden was created. This marked the beginnings of the planned/donated gardens that now dot the Botonic Gardens. This garden, with its well tended areas and fountain remains a focal point for Garden visitors.
An arboretum was established in 1957 to honor W.C. Paul who died in 1951 and who was an active member of the Memphis Men's Garden Club. Mr. Paul had long dreamed of an arboretum for Memphis and after his death, his dream was realized.
Another flower donation occurred in 1958 when Mrs. Winston Michie donated over 80 varieties of magnolias in honor of her late husband. That same year a rose garden was added with over 75-species of roses.
1966 brought an outstanding feature being added - the water garden. This is a breathtaking area and often used to photography backdrops.
As you walk through the Botanical Gardens today you will see over 100,000 daffodil bulbs line both sides of the stone lined creek beds on in the south east section of the Garden to form the Charlotte Sawyer Daffodil Trail and Daffodil Hill. The latest addition to the garden was a gift to add a 5500 square foot service, production, and display greenhouse - great things are coming to the Botanical Gardens!
Originally the gardens were to be named Bluebird Park but it was decided that the park area would be named after naturalist John James Audubon. There was already a smaller park inside the city named Audubon and a decision was made to call the new park Audubon and the smaller park Bluebird - which is now known as Tobey Park.
A great boost was given to the park in 1953 when over 2000 iris rhizomes from the gardens of Mrs. Morgan Ketchum were given to the park and the Ketchum Memorial Iris Garden was created. This marked the beginnings of the planned/donated gardens that now dot the Botonic Gardens. This garden, with its well tended areas and fountain remains a focal point for Garden visitors.
An arboretum was established in 1957 to honor W.C. Paul who died in 1951 and who was an active member of the Memphis Men's Garden Club. Mr. Paul had long dreamed of an arboretum for Memphis and after his death, his dream was realized.
Another flower donation occurred in 1958 when Mrs. Winston Michie donated over 80 varieties of magnolias in honor of her late husband. That same year a rose garden was added with over 75-species of roses.
1966 brought an outstanding feature being added - the water garden. This is a breathtaking area and often used to photography backdrops.
As you walk through the Botanical Gardens today you will see over 100,000 daffodil bulbs line both sides of the stone lined creek beds on in the south east section of the Garden to form the Charlotte Sawyer Daffodil Trail and Daffodil Hill. The latest addition to the garden was a gift to add a 5500 square foot service, production, and display greenhouse - great things are coming to the Botanical Gardens!
