Zilker Park consists of 351 acres of enjoyment for locals and tourist alike. There are trails for running, jogging, and biking as well as waterways for swimming and kayaking. Besides the trails, among the acres are volleyball courts, natural springs, and gardens.

One of these is the Zilker Botanical Gardens which itself is made up of various gardens. Some of these gardens include: Cactus and Succulent Garden, Hartman Prehistoric Garden, Herb and Fragrance Garden, Isamu Taniguchi Japanese Garden, Mabel Davis Rose Garden, Doug Blachly Butterfly Trail and Garden, Pioneer Village, and Children’s Garden.

To truly enjoy these diverse gardens takes the better part of a day. Sitting in the Japanese Garden you can relax among the lush greenery and listen to the soothing water trails. When Isamu Taniguchi was seventy years old, he donated this garden to Zilker. This donation consisted of his working without salary spending eighteen months transforming three acres into a serene area of green and water.

The Rose Garden is full of fragrance and colors of the various type roses. It brings back memories of grandmother’s roses and the smells that are always so familiar.

Watch for the large dinosaur sculpture as well as the prehistoric footprints. Just imagine these large creatures roaming the Texas Hill Country many centuries ago.

The Pioneer Village is somewhat unique for a botanical garden. It is the depiction of an everyday farm or village. It gives city folks a look at what a rural life would have been.

And then there was the Fairy Garden with its many fairy houses. The houses were built by children, families, businesses and each was unique. We even caught a glimpse of a fairy enjoying the day in the park.

The total of the gardens is a retreat within a large city. It gives shade, fragrance, color, and imagination.

When friends said, “let’s go to the botanical gardens”, we thought we would be looking at plants and flowers. Instead we spent an enjoyable time in various gardens depicting various aspects of plant life.