Zilker Botanical Garden   

2220 Barton Springs Rd
Austin, TX 78746
512-477-8672
www.zilkergarden.org

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Imagine visiting a garden in central Japan teeming with plants, a waterfall and pond teeming with goldfish and frogs. If that doesnt strike your fancy, how about cacti? Or maybe roses? Its all available at the botanical gardens, a site that is worthy of a visit at all times of the year.The 22 acre site includes six different plant displays including a xeriscape garden (with native Texas plants that have low water requirements), a cactus and succulent garden, a fabulous rose garden with 800 plants, an oriental water garden, a recent discovery of dinosaur tracks and the Douglass Blachly butterfly trail.The water garden is the most fun to explore. Its more like a giant sculpture than a garden with lots of hidden spaces and quiet alcoves that reveal themselves slowly. A couple is discreetly tucked into a space under a tree. Children jump across a creek to what you think is a little island. Suddenly you notice that the island is shaped like a boat. The stepping stones that trail it form the shape of an anchor.Ismau Taniguchi, a Japanese immigrant who began the project when he was in his 70s, built the garden in 1968-69. All of the work was done with just a few shovels, a wheelbarrow and two assistants. Taniguchi built the garden for free and gave it to the city as a symbol of his appreciation for the opportunities the city provided him.Be sure to stop in the traditional bamboo tea house overlooking the garden.