I finally have a day to post the last of my visit to Lexington, Kentucky. The State Botanical Garden of Kentucky is located on the University of Kentucky campus Arboretum and is open on weekdays. It has a 2-mile paved walking path that I enjoyed early one morning to try to avoid the heat of the day.
The Arboretum has eight regions representing the different ecological areas of Kentucky including Appalachian Plateau, Bluegrass, mountain and wetlands areas, with woods containing 70 different varieties of oak trees. This map shows just one of the garden areas, this one dedicated to the home garden.
Here and there are lovely fountains and sculptures.
I didn’t see what kind of flower this one was, but you know I love white flowers.
This was part of the home demonstration area too, showing container gardening and bed planting.
The Knot Garden has plantings to appear like knots. What a fun idea for a circular bed.
Beautiful purple flowers were attracting the pollinators.
Several areas have benches and peaceful views to relax, like this little pond with fish and a babbling stream.
Hibiscus flowers were in full bloom in several colors.
Out on the paved section around the back side, there were a number of unpaved paths taking short strolls to get closer views of the oak trees and other trees.
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Wildlife was taking advantage of the warm day, like this little rabbit nibbling on the grass.
Cottage roses, grasses and lavendar in the back made for a sweet fragrant walk in this garden.
This sculpture was really captivating. It was a memorial sculpture for Comair Flight #5191 victims, where 49 people were killed in August 2006 when their plane crashed on take off at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington. (Thank you, Ramona for the correction.) The birds seem to be in full flight, and turning.
Walking around the sculpture, the view changed with each step.
White hibiscus bloomed along a stone wall.
Wetlands near the back corner of the property had a raised walkway with displays to tell the visitor about the region and the plants. The ecological impact of wetlands is important to the planet and there was much to see here.
Interesting colors in foliage set off more greenery and hydrangeas, as I made my way back toward the entrance.
Stunning pink color on these hydrangeas!
This area is plant testing for garden centers, I’ll bet some of these varieties make it into most home gardens. I know I recognized some marigolds, petunias and impatiens that I have had before.
Candy striped petunias are being tested for future seed offerings.
Pink and orange varieties of zinnias are blooming well.
Canna Orange Shade is a such vibrant color! Looks like fall doesn’t it?
The Arboretum has the Stout Daylily Collection, an entire garden of award winning daylilies covering years. The Stout Silver Medal is the highest award given to the daylily hybrid, and only one award is given each year. The exhibit includes winners going back to 1950, with about half of the winning cultivars represented. The Arboretum is looking for the years they are missing.
This lovely purple and yellow striped one was blooming profusely.
This is the first double bloom daylily I have ever seen. I don’t know what its name was.
Pollinators like this tiny butterfly were having a field day with all the blooms.
This one was interesting in the shape of the petals and the variegated color.
More places to sit and enjoy the day were on the path near the visitor center.
Red calibrachoa near the entrance, I had to get one last shot before leaving the arboretum.
It was a lovely morning, but by the time I finished the two mile hike, the temperature and humidity were climbing. So, off to get some cold water and a shower before hitting the bookstores and quilt shops I showed you last month. I hope you enjoyed the tour!
How’s your garden now?
From My Carolina Home 
Beautiful pictures Carole, loved all the vibrant flowers. Seemed to me that the knot garden could almost be a quilt square. I think I saw some petals like the honey bee block uses. Hmmmmmm.
I love visiting these kinds of places!
What a beautiful area for a walk. Thank you for sharing it. I so enjoyed looking at the pictures from the arboretum especially the day lilies and the bird sculpture certainly is wonderful. Hope your day is a good one.
Lovely flowers. Visiting a arboretum is always on my to do list when traveling. The weather is getting a little nippy here, temps only in the 60s today.
Oh, thank you! It is gray and raining here today, and it’s a treat to see the lovely photos from the arboretum with the sun shining! I had striped petunias like those back in the 1970s at my parents’ house and enjoyed the novelty of them then although now I go with solid colors, but seeing them was a walk down memory lane to when I first began gardening….
Beautiful, putting on my list of places to see, Thank you
Thanks for the virtual tour of the botanical garden. I love to visit them when I can while traveling. The white flower at the beginning of the post is an impatien. They have almost disappeared from our nurseries due to a disease that kills them off by early August. Another result of our reliance on using big box stores instead of locally grown plants. Sigh.
Pat
Thank you for the garden tour. Beautiful photos. I love the log that has been left along the path. Nature needs those wild bits left around I think. Our garden is neglected. Hoping for cooler days. That KNOT looked like a quilt block to me too! 🙂
What a lovely tour your gave us! I enjoyed every photo and your keen observations.
Good morning Carole,
Oh my goodness, my trip to the Kentucky Botanical Gardens was so delightful, hanks for taking me along. All the colorful flowers were so delightful along with the beautiful bird sculpture in flight.
I’m planning to go to The Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground, Ga. with a friend before it gets to cool so we can see the fall flowers and foliage.
Have a great day,
Phyllis
Beautiful post. I always try to search out botanical gardens when we travel.
A lovely tour with photos and descriptions of so many of the interesting points along the way! Do you happen to know the name of the very striking plant with leaves from green to orange sporting a tall bloom? I think I’ve seen that plant before but don’t know the name of it. Thank you for sharing your tour.
my kinda day, I always enjoy your trips!
Such a pleasant and peaceful place to saunter along garden paths. I think my favorite shot was the vine covered roof with the rock columns. It looks like a wisteria vine. I have orange double day lilies just off the porch and lots of day lilies that are not double. The double starts blooming when there are just a few of the single lilies left. Thanks for the tour!!
What a seemingly lovely place to visit! Thanks for sharing all of the photos!
That looks lovely! So many flowers! Many more than I have seen at other arboretums. Thanks for sharing.
What a fabulous way to spend the morning! I absolutely love botanical gardens and arboretums!
Great photos Carole. Thanks bunches for sharing.
Thank you formthe visit, what a beautiful place, love the day lillies.
Beautiful garden tour, Carole! Thank you for sharing
Beautiful photos, Carole! Reminds me of our State University’s Mc Crory gardens and their flower research.
Any place with flowers is a great place to walk. Beautiful photos.
This is one of my favorite places to walk as I live nearby, The sculpture you showed is beautiful, however it was done as a remembrance/memorial for the Comair Flight #5191 victims. 49 people were killed in August 2006 when their plane crashed on take off at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington. Each bird represents a victim. The artist, Duowe Blumberg, was quoted as saying he meant it to represent their souls being freed and returning to God. It truly is a wonderful sculpture and a favorite meditation/reflection spot.