143873 4 Location 563979 <p>Fabulous and, best of all, free, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden is an intriguing respite of shady green loveliness, just perfect for a relaxing Sunday in Fort Worth. There is no charge for parking and from the reflection pool with its two bronze jumping frogs, the impression is that this is not just any public garden, this one is fun.</p><p>Located just west of downtown, the gardens are a wonderful place for a stroll or a picnic on a Sunday afternoon, and a great place to let the kids out of the car to explore, or just run and play. A collection of several specialty gardens, there is something of interest on and off the many paved pathways. We found tiny frogs, baby birds, turtles, squirrels, fish, and dragonflies and we weren’t even trying. </p><p>An interactive adventure awaits along the Texas Native Forest Boardwalk with wonders of nature and history for children and adults. The elevated path winds through native versus invasive species and descriptions of each. Lots of squirrels, which on our visit delighted my nine-year-old grandson, race dizzily through the maze of branches and tree trunks. </p><p>A favorite site for weddings and photographers, the Lower Rose Garden was inspired by an Italian Renaissance villa, complete with reflection pool, terraces, and charming vistas. The Oval Rose Garden is equally delightful and, on a bright Spring day, the warm breeze is scented with the dreamy fragrance of thousands of blooms. Relics of Texas pioneers highlight the Republic of Texas Rose Garden containing many roses bred especially for this climate. </p><p>There are small entrance fees for both the indoor Conservatory and the Japanese Garden, but both are well worth the few dollars. We especially enjoyed the sociable Koi, swimming turtles, and watchful Blue Heron in the extensive ponds of the Japanese Garden. With pavilions, bridges, and stone paths across the water features, there are touches of whimsy here and there inviting smiles and encouraging playful spirits. </p><p>For gardeners, there are the Trial Garden and Water Conservation Garden with interesting native species to tempt green thumb ambitions. For us, though, we were happy to walk the meandering paths and sit in the cool green shade watching families at play and forgetful squirrels at work. While there is a restaurant in the gardens, we brought our own picnic lunch and joined other families with the same idea in one of the broad grassy areas. </p><p>The grounds are open every day from 8:00 a.m. until dusk. The Fort Worth Botanic Gardens are located at 3220 Botanic Way, Fort Worth, TX 76107. For special events, check the website at <a href="/go?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fwbg.org%2F&tracking=external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><u>http://www.fwbg.org</u></a> or call (817)871-7682 for guided tours</p> 2008-05-09T09:02:15-07:00 816349235 2008-04-16T17:00:00-07:00 0 16 244056 6962009 143873 0 194488 0.0 2008-04-15T17:00:00-07:00 Published 0.0 2008-05-09T09:12:01-07:00 113729 0