Thanks to unanimous support from the Clovis City Council, the Clovis Botanical Gardens will soon host a state-of-the art Visitors Center. This new building will rival any public garden in any city and will be a source of pride for Clovis residents.
The Botanical Gardens partnered with renowned architect Art Dyson to create the one-of-a-kind Visitors Center. It will feature an assembly room for the board members to hold meetings and special events.
In addition to the assembly room, the center will feature a gift shop full of items from local artisans and designers as well as an information center. Interactive displays that educate the public on what plants are at the Botanical Gardens will also be featured.
Due to the weather conditions during winter and summer, the information center and interactive displays will educate the public on what they can do to conserve water and preserve the region’s plant life.
Anne Clemons, board member and long-time volunteer, shared that until its opening in 2004, there were no outdoor botanical gardens in the area.
“I always thought it was a shame that the Fresno and Clovis area didn’t have a garden that you can visit,” said Clemons. “I always thought you should have something that was open to the public.”
The mission of the Clovis Botanical Gardens is to promote water conservation in the California Central Valley landscape through gardens, exhibits, and programs that educate and inspire the public.
With the new visitors center, this mission can continue to be shared in the off seasons when the weather may normally affect visitors coming to the Botanical Gardens. The interactive exhibits provide the opportunity to show plant growth virtually.
Allowing the plants to grow naturally gives visitors realistic expectations of how these plants look in the local environment. Visitors can also understand how these plants may look in their own homes and learn how to properly grow them.
“We don’t prune or shape them unless it’s to remove disease or if it’s blocking the walking path,” said Clemons. “We want visitors to see what the trees and plants look like as they grow.”
The garden is full of different exhibits featuring plants from similar climates, including the Mediterranean Garden which features plants native to the Mediterranean Sea area. It is one of the five regions with a climate similar to the Central Valley.
“We only plant what will do well here, we don’t try to plant redwoods or azaleas and make them struggle. We want plants that will go into the ground without any amendment and grow,” said Clemons.
By receiving approval from the City Council as well as an anonymous donation of one million dollars, the visitors center will help the Botanical Gardens carry on its mission.
“It’s beyond belief, we are just so thrilled,” said Clemons.
Preparations for the construction of the Visitor Center have begun and the groundbreaking is anticipated for this fall.
Located at 945 N Clovis Ave, the Botanical Gardens is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is free.
If you’d like more information on how you can support the garden email admin@clovisbotanicalgarden.org.