san diego botanic garden

The sun was shining. The flowers were blooming. There were no crowds. The SD Botanic Garden was a PERFECT place to spend hours strolling, enjoying, and learning. Note - even if you do not have children, go into the Children's Garden section. It is lovely and has 2 of the biggest Adirondack chairs I have ever seen :). Very fun to sit and rest a spell in them. The bamboo area of the garden was also very nice, as was the big green lawn area - coming from the north where cold and snow still cover our grass in March, it was so rejuvinating to see a GREEN LAWN. Only downside is the snack area and gift shop closed an hour before the grounds.Highly recommend visiting this place.

I visited the San Diego Botanic Gardens as a stopover between S.D. and Orange counties, and I am so glad I did. I stayed overtime because the gardens are first rate … way better than I expected. I would recommend a visit here to just about anyone.The first thing I noticed about the property overall is that the landscaping is more lush than some of the other “comprehensive” (my term, meaning zones of terrain that encompass numerous continents) gardens. That is, rather than featuring blooming flowers planted in contrived patterns, the zones are set up to portray a more natural environment. Very simply, the growth is more dense and there is more shade. I found this to be a nice change of pace from places—all awesome—such as the gardens in San Marino (SoCal), Denver, Chicago or Dallas, to name a few.Areas of vegetation “ethnicity” (if you will) denoted on the garden map include Australia, Canary Islands, Central America, New Zealand, South Africa, Mediterranean, South America, Africa, California and Mexico. Garden types include subtropical fruit, herbs, bamboo, tropical rainforest and two awesome desert areas. There are benches placed throughout, and there are also a gazebo, “lawn house” and scenic overlook. For kids there’s a decent-sized children’s garden.One very pleasant surprise was that the vegetation identifiers had extra info beyond just the familiar and Latin plant/tree names. For example, the marker might say [paraphrasing] “this shrub has bright red blooms in late spring,” or “the bark of this tree is harvested for cork.” This is more conducive to learning, and I found these info markers to be well thought out. Also, there is a lot to learn about drought tolerant vegetation among the displays. There are numerous installations of contemporary outdoor artwork for sale throughout the property. I thought many of the pieces were either too gaudy or too expensive (or both) for my tastes, but I can’t criticize an artist who jumps at the opportunity to use such a nice environment for displaying his/her creations.Notes:* Full admission is $14 (discounts for seniors, military, etc.). This is waived for North American Reciprocal Museums members. Parking is $2 unless one is a member of this garden.* Due to the presence of an “overflow lot” I’m guessing that these gardens can be crowded. I visited just after opening on a Monday when there were very few people there. Not sure if this place is popular with school tours.* Definitely have your camera handy. There are many cool places to take pictures, but if you plan to make money from your images you’ll need to pay fees. Check the website for info on this. I imagine lots of wedding photographers like these gardens.

This hidden gem is in North County San Diego and just off the 5 freeway so it is a perfect place for locals and visitors in the area. This is not a large manicured garden that you see in some large cities, but a natural garden representing our high desert climate. There are a not of native California plants on display as well as representatives of other Mediterranean climates. The serene Bamboo garden has the nation's largest selection of bamboo. There is also a lot of art on display throughout the gardens for people to enjoy. A perfect place to spend a few hours. Many special events are held here throughout the year such as the Insect Festival, Spring Festival, Fairy Festival and Garden of Lights.I would give it 4.5 stars if I could. The only reason for not giving it 5 is that there isn't anywhere to sit down and have a bite to eat in the gardens which would be a great addition.

Guests always enjoy a few hours here. The return gushing how we can grow anything in Encinitas. We love the unique plant sales too.

I always go to the botanic garden in whatever city I am in. SD's was large with a nice children's section. Also stunning bamboo area. remember its dry in SD so don't expect showy hawaiian flowers.

These gardens highlight plants from around the world. We were able to wander among specimens from Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and more. The winding paths include markers for many of the plants plus occasional sculptures by contemporary artists with statements of their intentions. The section for children was charming and not just for kids. We could have spent all day there.

I am so lucky to live in the same city as this wonderful Garden. It covers many acres and is planted with many different growing zones and plants from around the world. It is well organized and cared for most efficiently and with deep respect for Mother Nature's gifts. One could spend all day discovering all the Garden has to offer, or just an hour in a few sections would be a nice visit. There is a very small gift shop on site with a few plants for sale and garden things. There are many events scheduled throughout the year including fantastic plant sales. There is a special Children's Garden too, but I don't know much about that, except that it too is worth a visit. I am sure there are many youth oriented garden activities.

This was a varied, nicely maintained garden. Fruit garden was wonderful, as were all the different types of succulents. We saw lots of plants for the first time. It was so quiet on a Monday morning, we felt we had the place almost to ourselves. Don't miss this one if you like plants and hummingbirds. Find discount coupons online.

We spent about an hour in the children's section and none of us are kids! This is a beautiful spot to walk around and feast on the thousands of plants that grow in southern California. It is so fun that there are 2 overlook places to see the view. Put this on your list, it is fantastic.

Very well manicured and maintained garden with great opportunities for photography everywhere. Take a boxed lunch for a quick picnic.

Super "nature museum". Beautiful grounds with an immense variety of plants & trees (duh!). Very educational, they have hosted walks & lots of informational signage. It's like a secret getaway place right here in San Diego. They also have a really cool section that caters to children (replete with giant "living tree house"), you can even have birthday parties there. Good place to get some inspiration for your landscape.

We hiked pretty much all the trails, that are there, and it took a few hours, excellent excercise, and a panoramic view of the ocean, absolutely beautiful. It was the best I seen in San diego. The sights and local environment while getting a little excercise was best we had while on this trip.

bad condition, overpriced. it looks like a cheap botanical garden without proper care. usually, gardens of such size and quality are free. but this is California, and it is expensive enough. not recommended.

In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a quaint botanic are called Quail Gardens. Parentsvtook kids there for an hour's distraction at best. Now expanded and redesigned, it's a floral version of the zoo. Vegetation by zones, quality garden art/sculpture tastefully placed, play structures and activities for kid 2-12. Call ahead to find out what's available that day. Special AAA and senior pricing, and coupons are everywhere. A healthy nature activity for the whole family.

Impressive stroll through incredible themes of plant life, mainly from desert & warmer climates. Great kid's areas too. Looking forward to seeing this next summer - if it was this cool in December!