There is always something to see in the Garden!
We usher in spring with over 200,000 flower bulbs including daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and tulips. Throughout the growing season, trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials are putting on a continuous show. Winter interest comes in the form of textures and colors of bark, seeds and berries.
Blooming now
Calendar of Blooms
January
February
March
February
Children’s Discovery Garden
Winter honeysuckle – Lonicera fragrantissima: very fragrant!
Early hellebores – many cultivars
Willows – We have 6 different species and cultivars in the Children's Discovery Garden. You can find fuzzy willow blossoms (catkins) from Feb. to March near the Stream Valley.
Forsythia - near Children's Entrance Gate
Stanford Family Liberty Garden
White forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum) - near the Entrance Gates. It has a lovely fragrance.
March
Children’s Discovery Garden
Willows – Find fuzzy blooms (catkins) along branches near the Spring Giant and along Stream Valley. They begin to leaf out in early spring.
Miniature Iris – Iris reticulata – patch near Blue Entrance Ribbon and in Amphitheatre
Grape hyacinth – Muscari – many blue, purple, and white cultivars, bees LOVE these, are found throughout.
Narcissus – Many cultivars and many colors, beginning by spring break, in Meadow and Sensory Walk.
Hyacinth bulbs – in Sensory Walk and in Color Walk display beds near the Blue Ribbon Entrance.
Mexican plum blossoms - Prunus mexicana – very fragrant! –– along wooded path in Sensory Walk
April
May
June
May
Iris –Look for blooms of Bearded iris and Louisiana Iris which are planted throughout the Children's Discovery Garden in many colors and varieties.
Phlox – woodland phlox – pink blooming near Meadow and Round Pond
Wisteria and honeysuckle along Family Terrace railing near Round Pond. Listen and look for hummingbirds!
The first water lily blooms in Round Pond show up in late May– many different Nymphaea
Many blooming and often fragrant trees throughout the Children's Discovery Garden this time of year – look UP!
Japanese water iris - Iris ensata: Last week May/First week June –- brief but beautiful in Round Pond.
April
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- ‘Age of Gold’ peony
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- Monterey Mariposa lily
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- Chinese fringe tree
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- ‘Hartlage Wine’ sweetshrub
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- Iris ‘Ice for Brice’
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- Pawpaw: Asimina triloba
Bridal Veil spirea – Spirea prunifolia - find the fluffy white blooms of this shrub along both sides of entry walk.
Narcissus - Many cultivars and many colors in Meadow, Sensory Walk, and throughout
Giant snowdrops & blue Camassia – Leucojum & Camassia – blue & white along The Round Pond and upper Stream Valley.
Mexican plum blossoms - Prunus mexicana – very fragrant! –– along wooded path in Sensory Walk
Tulip, narcissus, hyacinth, dianthus, viola – in Color Walk display beds
Spanish bluebells – Hyacinthoides hispanica – along Butterfly Stroll. Bees love these blue flowers
Spicebush – Calycanthus: delightfully scented – along Sensory Walk, entry walk and other areas
June
Children’s Discovery Garden:
Liatris –purple gayfeather– many different species in Meadow and near Spring Giant start showing very bright purple flowers.
Early lilies – in Meadow, bright orange, yellow, and red
Water lotus – Nelumbo – several cultivars, big bloom show is in June
Daylilies – many different varieties in a riot of colors throughout the Children's Discovery Garden.
Oakleaf hydrangeas beginning their bloom season
July
August
September
July
Children’s Discovery Garden:
Color Walk – annual tropical display near the entrance is full of flowers and foliage.
Many Hibiscus species and cultivars are blooming throughout.
Different species of Liatris bloom through July and August
Flowers in The Meadow – sunflowers and native plants - begin blooming in yellows and oranges.
Button bush – Cephalanthus: blooms June and July, bees and butterflies love it, very fragrant near Stream Valley
Blooming salvias, Gregg’s purple mist flowers, and many Oklahoma native plants attract butterflies in The Meadow.
August
Children’s Discovery Garden:
Color Walk – annual tropical display near entrance is full of flowers and foliage
Many various Hibiscus species and cultivars blooming throughout CDG
Different species of Liatris bloom through July and August
Meadow flowers continue through summer, yellows, whites, oranges
Lots of blooming salvias, Gregg’s purple mist flowers, and other native flowers in Butterfly Stroll in The Meadow. Look for lots of butterflies here
September
**September is greatest number of butterflies and hummingbirds visible at the Garden during fall migration**
Children’s Discovery Garden
Color Walk – annual display near entrance is full of flowers and foliage
Some Liatris still blooming near The Amphitheatre
Lots of blooming salvias, Gregg’s purple mist flowers, and other native flowers/shrubs in Butterfly Stroll in Meadow. Look for butterflies in this area.
Meadow flowers still blooming, beginning to see purple fall asters blooming at end of September
Lakeside Promenade
Grasses including little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Indiangrass (Sorgastrum nutans) and ‘Dallas Blues’ switchgrass (Panicum virginiana ‘Dallas Blues’)
Bright yellow sunflowers (Helianthus), oxeye sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides), and Texas green eyes (Berlandiera texana) are in full bloom and look for purple blooms of Arkansas ironweed (Vernonia arkansana)
October
November
December
October
Children's Discovery Garden
Color Walk – annual display near entrance is full of flowers and foliage, pansies also planted now
Fall blooming asters, many shades of purple, throughout the Children's Discovery Garden, blooming until first frost
Check near the Spring Giant and in The Meadow for great fall color from our shrub plantings
Amsonia, Lindera, aspen, yellowwood, and many trees have great leaf color throughout fall
December
Children’s Discovery Garden
Bright orange, red, and yellow bark on willows and other shrubs near Spring Giant are striking.
Evergreen shrubs and trees throughout the Garden looking great in winter.
We can get sporadic fragrant honeysuckle blooms if we have enough hot/cold spells in December to get them to bloom early. The honeybees love the Lonicera fragrantissima and can be seen year-round on warm days in the Children's Discovery Garden.