Formality enjoys a surprising twist in Red Butte’s Ruth P. Eccles Herb Garden, where loose curves—rather than traditional diamonds and squares—shape a boxwood parterre woven through lush beds of fragrant herbs and edible flowers. This inspiring space is just one corner of Red Butte’s 21 acres of gardens in the heart of Salt Lake City. Red Butte and these two other fresh public gardens offer respite worth savoring in any season.
Roses and Romance at Red Butte Garden
The fragrance, color and incomparable beauty of roses charm The Sarah J. McCarthey & Family Rose Garden at Red Butte Garden. Forget about marching though rows of labeled cultivars. Here you meander through a diverse presentation of informally planted varieties—hybrid teas and floribundas to climbers and miniatures—as they mix with companion plants to enchant all who visit. The Rose Garden boasts color-specific sections, from a blush-toned Wedding Garden to a robustly red Marin Overlook.
300 Wakara Way, SLC
801-585-0556
Sculptural Drama at Red Hills Desert Garden
Located in the red rocks of St. George, the nearly 5-acre desert conservation garden boasts paths winding through a vermillion landscape of 5,000 water-efficient plants, a stream stocked with native and endangered fish, a replica slot canyon and prehistoric dinosaur tracks found onsite dating back 200 million years. Visitors leave inspired and informed about creating localscapes that require less water and maintenance.
375 Red Hills Pkwy., St. George
435-673-3617
Natural Ease at The Ogden Nature Center
Peaceful walking trails weave through woods and tall-grass meadows in the heart of Ogden, where a 152-acre nature preserve and educational center draw visitors who love learning about and connecting with nature while enjoying the tranquility of untamed landscapes, birding and wildlife viewing.
966 W. 12th St., Ogden
801-621-7595
