A young couple nervously recites their wedding vows under a gorgeous arbor bathed in lavender colored wisteria flowers.  A toddler climbs over a large plastic carrot three times his size.  Two young girls pop their head into a plastic dome crawling with humongous cockroaches and other hideous, slithering insects.  Is this another playful–often creepy–Tim Burton movie?  No, rather a moment of time at the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden: a delightful combination of color, exploration, tranquility and romance.

As you walk through the gate to the Botanic Garden immediately to your right you will find a series of formal walled gardens, including the Spanish-Moorish Garden, Jardin Redondo and Ceremonial Garden which collectively are referred to as “romance corner” (actually, only the writer calls it that…).  The Spanish-Moorish Garden embodies the geometric patterns of Moorish style with colorful tile work and aromatic plants.  The Jardin Redondo (or “round garden”) showcases seventy different award-winning roses, surrounding a central planter overflowing with blooming annuals.  Finally, the Ceremonial Garden embodies what we all want in a relationship: a fairy tale wedding.  The Ceremonial Garden consists of a raised stage covered with an arbor of white roses and the decorative pillars and arches are entwined with clematis, wisteria and climbing roses.  For good reason, many a successful wedding take place here.

After you have gotten your “love on” (yeah, baby!) no visit to the Botanic Garden is complete without a visit to the Conservatory.  A 10,000 square foot glass pyramid housing the Mediterranean exhibit in one wing and the Desert exhibit in the other, the Conservatory is considered the epicenter of the Garden.  The Mediterranean Conservatory displays flora native to coastal areas with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters like in the Mediterranean Sea coast, the California coast, southwestern Australia, South Africa and coastal Chile.  In this colorful wing you will find rockroses, bottlebrush trees, olive trees and mints/sages to name a few.  On the other hand (wing), the Desert Conservatory showcases desert plants that flourish and bloom year-round in hot, dry climates, including the saguaro cactus, palo verdes, yucca and everything xeric.

For the ferroequinologist (aka: nerd) there’s something for you!  The Railroad Garden consists of two 400-foot loops of G-scale brass rails on free-floating tracks.  The miniature trains shoot pass villages, fly over trestle bridges and barrel through tunnels.  There are even models of traditional New Mexican architecture like adobe train stations which is pretty darn cool!

Not to slight the kids (or the kids-at-heart in all of us!) we have to give the Children’s Fantasy Garden its due.  Without giving too much away, this garden is an intensely creative labyrinth guarded by a fourteen-foot high topiary dragon.  The fun is in the exploration, and there is everything from a walk-through 42-foot wide pumpkin, comically large vegetables (are they “juiced”?) and REALLY BIG BUGS.

While the little ones are running around hopped up on sugar and crazy mazes the rest of us adults can relax or even meditate while enjoying the Sasebo Japanese Garden.  This peaceful four-acre compound was crafted to honor Albuquerque’s Japanese sister city Sasebo.  It hosts a waterfall, koi pond, stone lanterns, pagoda sculptures, wooden bridges and a mix of local and Japanese plants.  There really is nothing more tranquil than meandering through the gardens and meditating.

Last but not least, the BUGarium.  This 3,500 square foot building bids homage to the insect.  Not for the squeamish, you will have the opportunity to check out giant tarantulas, leaf cutter ants, nocturnal scorpions, naked mole rats and other amazing arthropods that are practically invisible because they camouflage themselves so well (what’s that on your shoulder?!).

But don’t take my word for how wonderful the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden is…  Check out my video of this Albuquerque treasure.  Or better yet, go there and check it out for yourself!