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Summer Blossoms & Events

Stroll the gardens and enjoy the peak season of flowers during the summer months. Favorite summer spots include the Hummingbird Garden, Stumpery Garden (featuring the staghorn fern living wall), the Menu and Villandry gardens within the Heartland Harvest Garden, Children’s Garden, Butterfly Meadow, Millstone Garden, Fountain Garden, Marlese Lowe Gourley Island Garden, and Wildflower Meadow. 

Go off the beaten path and explore the grove of bald cypress knees by the Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel, take the path to the wetlands, walk the 1-mile Family Discovery Loop, or hike the Prairie Ridge Trail on the Byron Shutz Trail System. 

Festival of Butterflies has been a summer favorite for over 25 years! During this seasonal festival, butterflies and moths fill the Martha Jane Starr Phillips Conservatory while the Butterfly Meadow and Native Butterfly Habitat come alive with native winged pollinators.

Head to the Gardens to see caterpillars, butterflies, and moths and learn about the plants that sustain them.

Look for featured summer horticultural exhibits and displays in 2023:

  • Perennial Lounge rotating collections displays (March – December)
  • Grand Hall Terreriums (April 1-October 15)
  • Staghorn Fern Living Wall (May 26-September 30)
  • Midwest Foraging (April 1-October 15)
  • Desert Days (June 24-25)
  • Festival of Butterflies (July 20-August 6)
  • Waterlily Wonders (August 12-13)

4 Don't Miss Spots to Stay Cool During Your Visit