Rotary Botanical Gardens Janesville, WI

The Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville, Wisconsin was first introduced to me through the "Story and Stroll" children's program. It was held in a large classroom in the Parker Education Center where my grandson and I met a group of our friends. The garden staff did a wonderful job of reading books related to nature, incorporating finger plays and singing lively songs.

When the story time was finished they opened the patio doors and encouraged us all to take our time to explore the gardens. Fine gravel pathways led us through lush fragrant gardens, over bridges and through wooded areas by a shimmering pond with willow tree branches sweeping the surface.

The Rotary Botanical Gardens could easily be visited several times a year as you just can't see everything in a few hours or even a day. The wide variety of individual gardens are astonishing and include an Alpine, Fern & Moss, French, Japanese, Scottish, English Cottage and a Daylily Collection just to name a few.

This natural sanctuary can be seen as a respite from the every day stresses and routines of life. A leisurely walk through any of these gardens can leave you feeling a little calmer and refreshed.

Gardens in Wisconsin change with the seasons so you'll see tulips, daffodils, and iris's in abundance here in the spring. Then peonies, day lilies and roses will be seen blooming shortly after that.

If you like Hosta's then you'll want to see the national display gardens here for the American Hosta Society. A special area called, "Hosta Hollow" has been carved out for them highlighting a wide variety of them. Due to their beauty and versatility they can also be seen in other garden areas scattered throughout the grounds.

"Mission: Rotary Botanical Gardens is an internationally themed botanical showcase which provides for the education and appreciation of horticulture for the benefit of all people."