come to think of it, why isn't NYBG and Longwood Gardens on this list? After all, THEY are the sin qua non, don't you think?
mindy

From that list, I've only visited the one in St. Louis.

I didn't know Memphis had one. I wonder how I missed that. We've visited Memphis at least a couple times in the summer and I would've drug my dh and kids there if I'd known.

We've also been to Chicago a couple times but didn't get to go to the botanical gardens. : (

I'd be interested to know how they based their evaluation. With the exception of Denver (and I'd hardly consider that west coast), any west coast presence is sorely lacking! I'd certainly include San Francisco BG/Strybing Arboretum on that list and most definitely the Huntington Garden in San Marco, CA -- easily the most impressive BG I've ever visited. 120 acres of various themed gardens, including some of the largest collections of specific plant types in the world. And I'd be negligent if I didn't include our local Bellevue Botanic Garden outside Seattle. Not overly large but the site of an award wining 800' double perennial border that was designed, planted and maintained entirely by volunteers. Also has a stunning drought tolerant garden and alpine garden, as well as the usual Japanese garden and Rhododendron glen. And speaking of rhododendrons, the Rhododendron Species Foundation Garden just south of Seattle is certainly worth a mention. Not just restricted to rhodies, this garden feature all manner of shade tolerant plants, some quite rare, as well as the Pacific Rim Bonsai collection.

And Mindy, although I understand why Canada was not included in a US listing, IMO the UBC Botanical Garden in Vancouver can hold its own with any US garden!

A couple of points. The list seems to have been put together by a travel organization, not a botanical or horticultural group. It looks like they were going for geographical diversity (buy those plane tickets, folks) rather than the ten best--if anyone could even pick "ten best". Diversity is why they didn't have both the BBG and the NYBG, I'd bet.

Second, a number of the gardens mentioned by other posters are wonderful public gardens but they are not botanical gardens. A botanical garden focuses on the science of botany. It will display plants as they are related scientifically or have some other scientific purpose. Horticulture and landscape design come second. Thus Chanticleer and Longwood Gardens, which put horticulture and design first, are not strictly speaking botanical gardens.

Anyway, it's a great topic for a good gardener's argument.

ginny, that's an interesting point and i thought about it when i posted the thread, but i think maybe it's also not so black and white. For instance, Longwood(you have been there?) has an active plant introduction/ testing/education etc program......and I think they are considered by botanical professionals as one of the heavy hitters in their world, even though they are privately owned.....But maybe i'm wrong.......

gg, HOW could I have not mentioned UBC? SHAME on me!!It and Van Dusen always get a full day each of our vacation, after which visits we are just exhausted and thoroughly ecstatic!!
I went to Huntington w/ my family when i was a teenager and all I remember is the red bridge, so I'll have to make a point of going again.
best,
mindy

My visit to the Huntington was rather recent, so perhaps it has changed since our teenage years?? :-) My newest passion is succulents and their succulent/desert garden - the largest collection of these plants in the world at 5000 species - had me enrapt!! I could have easily spent the entire day in that one garden, what with the variety of shapes, sizes, textures, bizzare flowers and the swarms of hummingbirds, even in midwinter (my visit was on New Year's Eve).

gg, with your new interest/passion, you MUST visit the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, 45 min NE of San Fran. The Garden Conservancy's first project; now an independent non-profit and one of the most unusual and spectacular gardens i have ever visited: and Toto, we DEFINITELY are not in kansas anymore.
best,
mindy

Here is a link that might be useful: ruth bancroft garden in CA.

I have visited about half of the gardens listed as well as some of the others mentioned. Each has its strong points. I could not rank them as have no idea of the criteria needed to be a botanical garden. Many gardens are multipurpose and include education, research, preservation and showplace use in the home garden. I have come away inspired by them all.

Mindy, I've seen programs and videos on the Bancroft garden but have never visited personally - northern CA isn't exactly on my usual travel route, unfortunately :-) It does look amazing and I will make plans to visit should I ever be in the Bay area.

My last visit to SoCal (my sister lives there) included a trip to Palm Springs and a visit to the Moorten Botanical Garden. This little place will never make a top ten list but is a labor of love of the Moorten family and includes some very impressive succulent and cactus specimens. I will always hold the vision of an enormous - it was easily 12' across from tip to tip - variegated century plant (agave) in my memory. They also propagate assorted succulents for sale and you'd be surprised what I managed to pack into my carry-on baggage to tote home with me!!

Unfortunately my significantly damper PNW climate makes growing many of these plants a challenge, certainly to any significant size at the very least, but I do have a nice collection growing on that live indoors during our wet (and much colder) winters.

You can always tell a serious gardener by the "must-see" attractions they include on any vacations :-)) Forget the museums and art galleries -- we go for the gardens and arboretums!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Moorten Botanical Garden

I have been to a number of these gardens and to Longwood quite a number of times. Longwood is spectacular and I love it but it most definitely is not a botanical garden, tho some science may be done there.

Their conservatory is one of the greatest sights for gardeners in this country. Not to be missed.

i'm w/ you ginny. also love that 'Eye of god'(?) water vortex in what feels alot like the courtyard of a japanese monastery. and that amazing grove of trees..........

best,
mindy

UC Davis over Strybing or Berkley? Yikes, someone sure likes grafting and hybridization over aesthetics.

Ive never been to any of the ones on the list, but ive been to longwood and it was amazing!!!! I couldnt get over how beautiful, and so much variety. We have Phipps conservatory here in Pittsburgh which is very organized in a scientific way. Its almost too structured for me. maybe ive been there too many times.

I love to visit the gardens of wherever I visit. Phipps is nice. They all have their distinctions. I visited Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna,Va. this year and found it to be very nice. It was large and people used it for exercising. It was a great walk. I also visited Atlanta and MoBot (St.Louis) this year. They were exceptional. I agree that Longwood is incredible.

Tulips at Longwood {{gwi:285016}}From Philadelphia (2005)

{{gwi:285017}}

I'm afraid I've not seen any of the gardens but I was just wondering if the word 'botanical' is the key to the 10 chosen? I had a quick look at the Longwood site and it looks gorgeaous but would you say it was a 'botanical garden'. The emphasis looked to be on horticulture and aesthetics rather than botany. What do you think?

Yes, see a discussion about this earlier in the thread.