Missouri Botanical Garden

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Seiwa-en

One of the Various Gardens at the Missouri Botanical Garden

The Missouri Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located in St. Louis, Missouri, and is also known informally as "Shaw's Garden."

Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the oldest botanical institutions in the United States and a National Historic Landmark. The Garden is a center for botanical research and science education of international repute, as well as an oasis in the city of St. Louis, with 31 ha (79 acres) of horticultural display. It includes a 5 ha (14 acre) Japanese strolling garden named Seiwa-en, the Climatron geodesic dome conservatory, a children's garden featuring a pioneer village and Osage camp, and garden founder Henry Shaw’s original 1850 estate home. It is adjacent to Tower Grove Park, another of Shaw’s legacies.

This venerable institution has undergone many evolutions in the past 25 years under the watchful eye of Dr. Peter Raven, the Garden's director and chief executive. His visionary administration has taken the Garden from a quiet place of introspection to a vibrant and proactive national treasure.

Every year the Garden is a place for many cultural festivals including the Japanese Festival and the Chinese Culture Days by the St. Louis Modern Chinese School. During this time, there are showcases of the culture's botanics as well as cultural arts, crafts, music and food. The Japanese Festival recently began to include sumo wrestling, adding this sport to the taiko drumming and kimono fashion shows already presented. The Garden is known for its Bonsai growing, which can be seen all year round, but is highlighted during the multiple Asian festivals. Major garden features include:

Blanke Boxwood Garden (1996) - walled parterre with a fine boxwood collection.

Climatron (1960) and Reflecting Pools - the world's first geodesic dome greenhouse; lowland rain forest with approximately 1500 plants.

English Woodland Garden (1976) - aconite, azaleas, bluebells, dogwoods, hosta, trillium, etc., beneath tree canopy.

Linnean House (1882) - Said to be the oldest continually operated greenhouse west of the Mississippi River. Originally Shaw's orangerie; converted largely to camellias in the late 1930's.

Gladney Rose Garden (1915) - Circular rose garden with arbors.

Grigg Nanjing Friendship Chinese Garden (1995) - Designed by architect Yong Pan; major features were gifts from sister city Nanjing, and include a moon gate, lotus gate, pavilion, and Chinese scholar's rocks from Tai Hu.

Seiwa-en Japanese Garden (1977) - chisen kaiyu-shiki (wet strolling garden) with lawns and path set around a central lake (4.5 acres). Designed by Koichi Kawana.