If you take a historic jaunt through the near-urbs of Boise, you’ll see the homes of the Yesteryear wealthy, as well as the modern day wealthy. If you go a block further, you’ll hit the Old Penitentiary.
The jail still stands, and just beside it, where the prisoner’s orchard (some of the trees still stand) and even a few baseball games used to happen, you’ll find a magnificent botanical garden.
Sure they can accommodate massive weddings or funerals, and yes they have so many plants you can’t even comprehend them all… but they’ve also got history.
The prisoners serving in the adjacent property had no clue how to tend, rear or otherwise horticulture any plants of any kind. They just plunked down tree seedlings in a tight row and called it good enough.
Those trees still stand today. Even as a layperson I can see that they’re much too close together, but it’s not about practicality, it’s about the story.
Taking that forward, they have the “BLM Firewise” garden, which works with the Bureau of Land Management and the CWI Program.
I could spend all day talking about the features of the Botanical Garden in Boise, but maybe it would be easier if you go to their site.
Also, and this is anecdotal, and provided only by my oldest… Bee’s are evil. Never you mind the honey or the cross-pollination or how much we rely on them for survival, it’s just his certainty he wanted me to add.
There’s a great Children’s Garden they’ve been working on a few years, and it’s still “growing” (their pun, not mine).
The garden even has a program where 3rd graders come in and plant vegetables, which are donated to local non-profit groups.
In summers they offer a Botany Camp to children where they come out three-hours a day to learn more and take part in the actual growth of the plants.
There’s a whole section dedicated to low-water growing, where you can see what’s possible for your home garden if you don’t want to spend a mint watering (or run out entirely, as some homes on well water, or small aquifer dependent sources do.)
The garden is 11-acres, so it’s still perfectly walkable, but in that, it’s simply huge. By far the biggest botanical garden we’ve been to.
It’s a pleasant, soothing, interesting attraction. If you’re already planning a visit to the Old Penitentiary or Mineral Museum, you should definitely use this to fill the rest of your day. It’s just plain nice.
