The city of Boise is adorable but the Boise Botanical Gardens are CHARMING. They will lull you into a love affair with plants.

The Boise Botanical Gardens reflect the true ecosystem which surrounds the city. It is easy to forget that Boise sits in the middle of the high desert because of the river which runs through town, creating an oasis of trees and greenery that fades quickly away as you drive out of town. The gardens are filled with native plants, drought resistant gardens and a fascinating parcel dedicated to teaching people how to use certain plants to prevent fires from harming their land and homes. There are also other types of gardens, but the focus there is on native plants.

The walk starts out a little stark. Situated on old prison grounds, you access the gardens through a gravel lot and a large playing field. At first it does not look inviting, but keep walking because it gets quite charming fast.

The gardens are not as carefully curated as they are in Denver which provides a wilder, more natural look to the gardens. Nevertheless, as we walked through, we fell under their spell. So much so we went back twice.

They have a lot of sculptures that expertly blend in, adding a bit of mystery and loveliness to the whole thing.

Don’t miss the Lewis and Clark Native Plant Gardens, The meditation garden, complete with a walking labyrinth and the English Garden. We promise, you will be charmed.