F W B
G
W A - T A
Guide to the Gardens
Fort Worth Botanic Garden
3220 Botanic Garden Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76107
817-392-5534
www.fwbg.org
[email protected]
Greenhouse
& Classroom
Cactus Garden
Four
Seasons
Trail
Backyard
Vegetable
Garden
e
Driv
Perennial
Garden
BRIT
Nature
Ttrail
East
Woods
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What’s Inside
Map of the Garden……………………. 1
What’s Inside…….……………………. 2
Tips for Visiting School Groups……….. 3
Water Conservation Garden………….. 4
Nature Trail……………………………. 5
Texas Native Forest Boardwalk……….. 6
Exercise Your Imagination……………... 7
Oval Rose Garden/Colonnade………….8
Reflection Pond………………………... 9
Reflection Pond Study Guide/Map…….. 10
East Woods Nature Trail…………….. 11
Wildlife Watch…………………………12
Rock Springs Garden……………...…………...13
Backyard Vegetable Garden/Fruit Orchard…. 14
Compost Outpost…………………………….15
Trial Garden…………………………………..16
Food Web Scavenger Hunt………………….. 17
The Grove………..……………………………18
Shape Safari………………………………….....19
Cactus Garden………………………………...20
Four Seasons Garden……………………...…. 21
Perennial Garden……………………………...22
Fern Garden…………………………………..23
Monarch Butterflies…………………………. 24
MEASURE IT
The height of
a flower
A petal
A caterpillar
An animal
track
A tree trunk
Here is a handy ruler for you.
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Tips for Visiting School Groups
PLEASE
Bag your trash
and dispose at
your school
SAFETY TIP
No climbing on
rocks, walls,
or trees
GROWING
Don’t pick the
flowers
SAFETY TIP
No sports
activities
MANNERS
MATTER
Stay on the
path
WILDLIFE
This is home
for the animals
We hope you enjoy your visit.
For your safety and the safety of other visitors, please follow these simple rules.
Welcome to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden!
TEKS
Science
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
K
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
A, B
A-E
A-C
A, B
A, B
A, C, D
A, B, C
A, B, C
A, B
A-D
A, B
A-E
B
A, B
A
A, C, D
A, B, C
A-D
A, C
A-D
A, B
A-E
A, B
A, B
A
A, C
A, C
A-D
A, B, C
A, B, C
A, B
A, C, D, F
A
A, B
A-F
A,C
A, B
B, C
B
C
A, C
A, B, C
A, C
A, B
A, B
A, B, C
A-D
A, B, C
This Garden is for you! You are welcome any time, but we can assist you better if we know you are
coming. To learn about our paid programs, please call, email, or visit our website, www.fwbg.org .
Sincerely,
The Education Team
Email us at [email protected]
Judy Bauereisen, School Programs
Gail Manning, Education Horticulturist
Larinda Smith, Public Education Specialist
817-392-5534
817-392-5540
817-392-5543
Our Mission:
“Engage, inform and inspire with plants, landscapes and nature”
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Water Conservation Garden
Native and adapted plants use little water,
tolerate our weather, and are wildlife friendly!
These are some of the ways
plants can conserve water.
Hide and rest - During the hot part of the day or year,
grasses and other plants "roll up" their leaves to reduce
the amount of surface area exposed to sun and wind.
Some plants position themselves to expose less to the
hot, sunny elements. Other plants go dormant.
Long roots– Drought adapted plants have deep roots, so
infrequent deep watering is the key to survival. There
may be other adaptations for water storage, so when it
rains the plant soaks up water. As drought sets in, they
will shrink, and the plant uses the water it has stored.
Little leaves - In arid regions, plants may have small
leaves, or no leaves at all. The leaves may be modified
into thorns. The smaller or fewer leaves a plant has, the
less water is lost during transpiration, because there is
less surface area exposed to the sun and wind. Green
twigs and stems help to carry out photosynthesis.
Hair Apparent - The hairs and spines on plants reduce
moisture loss by buffering the wind. They also cast tiny
shadows on plants. The hairs and spines reflect the sun's
rays away from plants.
Waxy cover - Plants lose H2O through their pores. They
also lose water through the cell walls on their leaves. The
leaves and stems of many hot climate plants have a thick
waxy covering protecting the water inside, while allowing
pores to open and absorb CO2.
Look for native bees! They can be
tiny, metallic or striped, but they
visit our native flowers.
a sweat bee
Accumulation
The process in which water pools
in lakes and oceans.
The Water Cycle
Condensation
The process in which water vapor
(a gas) in the air turns into
liquid water.
Fill in the blanks
Evaporation
The process in which liquid water
from the earth’s surface becomes
water vapor.
Precipitation
The process in which water (as
rain, snow, or hail) falls from
clouds in the sky.
Subsurface Runoff
Water that flows in underground
streams, drains, or sewers.
Surface Runoff
Water that flows in surface
streams, rivers, or canals.
Transpiration
The process in which water within
plants evaporates into the
atmosphere.
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Nature Trail at Texas Garden Clubs Headquarters
East of the Texas Garden Clubs Headquarters is a
nature trail connecting pocket gardens (small informal
plantings) donated by garden clubs across Texas.
The plants are mostly native and adapted specimens.
Study the wildscape sign to learn about the animals,
plants, and trees which grow here. On the other side
is a guide for a shade garden.
Walk around the small mulch paths quietly as not to
disturb the animal life.
One path leads to a shady area with decaying logs, many with mushrooms and fungus growing on them.
This garden doesn’t get a lot of direct sunlight. A fungus doesn’t need the sun. Fungi take what they need
from fallen logs. They are decomposers, and you can see how they have broken down the logs into hollow
sections. There’s a Fungus Guide available. Can you identify the fungus you find?
There are several plantings of ferns.
They are shade tolerant plants.
Ferns show a fractal pattern.
Did you see the stone turtles?
Have you seen real turtles in
the garden today?
Look for a big frog planter
Can you find a question mark butterfly?
A fallen log is habitat for more than fungus. Animals called decomposers
live there. Beetles, ants, termites, roly-polies, and millipedes may be
found. A spider might live there, to prey on the decomposers. Use care
not to disturb their habitat. What do you see?
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Native Texas Forest Boardwalk
The Texas Native Forest Boardwalk is a fun, living
outdoor classroom. The elevated boardwalk
connects the north and south areas of the garden.
It has viewing platforms and educational features.
East and west presents two habitats—native
plants on the east, and invasive species on the
west. There are three levels of interpretation: BG
Squirrel for Kids, TEKS-correlated educational
panels, and inspirational quotes.
As you begin your journey through the forest, look
for animal habitats. Notice insects along the way
and think about their homes. See if you can find
and identify a nest in a tree. Look at the leaf litter
and imagine what might live there.
Notice the leaf and animal track impressions along the edge of the cement walkway.
Students may test their motor skills by walking on balance beam logs, hopping across tree cookies, and
crawling through a fabricated hollow tree. Visit the thirteen knowledge-based stations. Use notebooks to
journal about the questions posed on the interpretive panels.
What Animals Live Here?
Look carefully at the following tracks and write what kind of animal you think made them.
Front Foot
Hind Foot
Front Foot
____________________________________________
Hind Foot
____________________________________________
Draw your own animal track. Give it a name!
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(L) Skunk, (R) raccoon, (Lower) great blue heron
____________________________________________
Exercise Your Imagination
Walk like a...
Raccoon (feet flat on the ground)
Coyote (on tip toes)
Tortoise (shuffle feet slowly)
Deer (on toenails—can you do it?)
Squirrel (run, stop, run)
Army Ants
Form a line.
March ahead ten steps and stop.
March ten more steps.
About face!
Turn shoulder to shoulder,
All facing the same way.
Take three steps forward,
Now swarm!
Fly like a...
Bee (make big circles)
Dragonfly (flap alternate arms)
Butterfly (flap and glide)
Fly (arms in figure 8)
Bat (move wrists and wiggle fingers)
Bird (hands to shoulders, arms out, arms back, hands to shoulders)
The lawn and trees between the Texas Native Forest Boardwalk and Rose Garden offer many wonderful
areas for small groups. A chaperone and group of children can find a shady spot, let creative energies flow,
and share what they’re learning, too!
How would different animals say hello to a tree?
Show how you would you fly.
Move slow, move fast.
Move “in a mirror.”
Be a leaf falling in slow-motion.
Enactastoryinturn.
Move rhythmically.
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Pretend to be squirrels getting ready for winter.
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Rose Garden/Colonnade
The Rose Garden is currently without roses until late
2016, because of a disease called rose rosette. All of
the roses in the entire Botanic Garden were removed
and no roses could be replanted for several seasons in
hopes of eradicating the disease. Annual flowers are
currently planted for color.
Pictured is the entrance at the Oval Rose Garden with
its pavilion, which leads to the Colonnade, through the
pretty parterres, a fountain, the Rose Ramp, and up to
the Shelter House. These features were built in the
1930s with sandstone from Palo Pinto County, west of
Fort Worth.
You can also enter at the west end of the Rose Garden
by going into the Shelter House and taking the stairs
down to the Rose Ramp.
The Oval Rose Garden is planted with pink and red hibiscus, red pentas and blue plumbago. Tall purple
fountain grass blows above the flowers. Pentas are called star flowers. Can you tell which they are?
Wisteria grows on the columns of the Colonnade. Do you see its purple flowers?
Walk along the smaller pathways surrounding the beds. Flowers like lantana and
Gregg’s mistflower are attractive to bees and butterflies. Look for pollinators! You
might see a green anole
among the vegetation. Sometimes
called chameleons
because of their ability to change
colors, they are related to
iguanas. They eat insects.
At the top of the Rose Ramp, look
for a lion’s head made of stone.
Did you notice the runnel as you
climbed the stairs?
runnel= narrow channel for water
Up at the Shelter House, look in the flagstone path for a special
stone shaped like Texas! It was hand cut by the master stonecutter
who shaped the stones used in building this garden. Can you find
other stone shapes?
Beyond the fountain is the gate into Rock Springs Garden. Enter here or from a path at the Shelter House.
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Reflection Pond
Ever wonder what the difference between a pond and
a lake is? In lakes there are areas too deep for light
to penetrate. Ponds are shallow enough that light can
reach the bottom, allowing plants to grow.
Ponds are diverse. Not only do ponds provide
a watering place for animals, but also they are the
breeding grounds for thousands of insects, aquatic
invertebrates, and amphibians.
FUN FACT
The smaller pond
leaked, so Queen Tut,
our zoo’s famous
elephant, walked up
University to wallow
around and seal it.
Use this Venn diagram to list the animals and plants you see in this area.
Pond
Land
Is It Clear Or Cloudy?
Look into the reflection pond to
determine the direction the
clouds are moving.
What kind of clouds do you see?
What is the weather like?
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Reflection Pond Tree/Plant Study Guide
A
Lindheimer’s Muhly
Large, bushy, native prairie grass produces long fuzzy flower spikes atop 6-foot stems.
B
Pond Cypress
Skinny trees with reddish, shredding bark and thread-like leaves.
C
Swamp Rose
Lovely red rose native to swamps in the southeastern United States.
D
Buttonbush
Small tree/large shrub that produces round, inch-wide flower balls that attract butterflies.
E
Weeping Willow
Round-crowned tree with long, thin, draping (weeping) branches. Favorite of beavers!
F
Bur Oak
Furrow-barked tree with golf ball - size acorns.
G Bald Cypress
A lot like pond cypress, but wider at the bottom. Produces non-breathing “knees.”
Leaves are feather-like.
H
Green Ash
Native tree’s trunk texture looks as if it has been hit with a bat. Produces “helicopter”
seeds.
I
Weeping Bald Cypress
Rare, weeping form of Bald Cypress.
J
Winter Honeysuckle
Large deciduous shrub from China that has small, fragrant blossoms January-March.
K
Pecan
State tree of Texas with a tasty nut many animals eat.
L
Giant Alligator Lily
These plants love the water and have flowers that look like long white teeth!
M Fruitless Sweetgum
Clone of a naturally-occurring mutant found in North Carolina in the 1930s. No spiky
fruits and the leaves have rounded, not pointy, lobes.
N
Native Texas wet soil-loving tree with star-shaped leaves and spiky, golf ball-sized fruits.
Sweetgum
As you walk around the pond, look for plant adaptations to this habitat. List them.
How many turtles do you count?
AA
B
C
D
E
G
F
Lower
Rose
Garden
C
N
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L
M
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K
I
J
G
H
East Woods Nature Trail
From the reflecting pond you can follow a trail into the woods.
These trees witnessed our history. The pecan tree grew on the
river slope while the bottom ash grew on the floodplain. Bottom
land hardwood forests are one of texas’ most diverse ecosystem.
More than sixty years ago a large flood devastated this area and
a flood defense system was built on the Trinity, resulting in the
river being contained inside a channel. In 2002, a master plan for
the river was designed to provide protection, increase recreation
opportunities, and add scenic beauty.
The creek drains to the Trinity.
Look for pecan trees. See their leaf
structure on the left.
You might find pecans on the ground.
Look for the husk, which splits into 4
sections (valves). The nut is surrounded
by a thick, woody outer wall (pericarp).
A nut is one-seeded fruit with a pericarp.
Nuts are eaten by people and animals.
1
Life Cycle of a Tree
Match the tree life cycle picture to its name
2
3
6
5
11
4
____
Mature Tree
____
Seed
____
Snag (dead tree)
____
Sprout
____
Rotting Log
____
Sapling
As you walk through the woods, look for trees at the
different life cycles identified above. Trees are
homes for plants and animals even after they fall.
Look closely at a rotting log or under a pile of leaves
for signs of life. Fungus and insects decompose the
tree parts, using them for shelter and food.
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Wildlife Watch
Many people think there isn’t any wildlife in the city.
Take a closer look. You may be surprised by what you find.
Circle the wildlife you find on this list. Write down other wildlife you find.
Hawk
Dragonfly
Lizard
Squirrel
Frog
Ant
Bee
Snake
Duck
Butterfly
Hummingbird
Turtle
Raccoon
Ladybug
Rabbit
I saw these other animals: ______________________, ______________________,
______________________, ______________________, ______________________,
______________________, ______________________, ______________________.
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Rock Springs Garden
The Victor and Cleyone Tinsley Garden is also called Rock
Springs Garden after this area’s original name, Rock Springs
Park. This area was purchased by the city over 100 years ago
and reopened in 2016 after renovations.
The path winds across bridges and over stairs. The original
three springs stopped flowing when I-30 was built in the 1950s.
This garden features native trees, and will be planted with native
flowers and grasses as our budget permits. Look at the leaves
of the trees as you travel through this area. Not all of the trees
on this page are large mature trees; some are new plantings.
Answers:
A Texas buckeye, B Eve’s necklace, C Tickle tongue tree, D Pecan, E Texas
persimmon, F Live oak, G Cottonwood, H Bald cypress, I Cedar elm
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A
Native Americans used
tannin from the nuts to
cure leather.
_____________________
D
Native Americans ate nuts
of the ________________
tree in the fall of the year.
We use them in pies.
G
The
______________________
has triangular leaves. One
near the pavilion was struck
by lightning.
The fruit pods of the
_____________________
resemble a string of black
beads.
C
Chewing on leaves or twigs
of ___________________
numbs the tongue.
E
The black juice from the
fruit of the
______________________
can be used for dye.
F
Native Americans ate
acorns of the
____________________
after removing the tannins.
H
______________________
has knees that buttress the
tree in soft ground. It loses
its leaves in the winter.
I
B
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Native Americans made
cord and string from the
inner bark of the
______________________
.
Backyard Vegetable Garden and Fruit Orchard
The Tarrant County Master Gardeners are our partners
in creating a place for children and adults to see and
practice gardening methods, and to learn about nutrition
and other aspects of a fun and healthy lifestyle.
Walk around and see what’s growing. The produce is
donated to the Tarrant Area Food Bank.
A vegetable is the part of a plant that you eat.
The orchard contains dwarf varieties of pear, apple, cherry and fig trees.
Do you see any flowers or fruit?
Make a list of things you see growing in the garden.
Mark them with a V (vegetable) or an F (fruit).
1. _______________________________
_______
6. ______________________________
_______
2. _______________________________
_______
7. ______________________________
_______
3. _______________________________
_______
8. ______________________________
_______
4. _______________________________
_______
9. ______________________________
_______
5. _______________________________
_______
10. ______________________________
_______
What am I?
I am a crunchy vegetable, with a lot of vitamin C and fiber. Some people think I look like a little green tree! What am I?
I come in different colors, like green and red. Before I became raisins, I was a bunch of these. What am I?
I come in long, crunchy pieces and I taste good with peanut butter. I have a lot of fiber and I am green. What am I?
I am a yellow fruit with three of the letter “A” in my name. I have a lot of potassium to help your muscles work better.
I am tough on the outside and soft on the inside. What am I?
Many people think that I am a vegetable, but I am actually a fruit. People like to use me to make spaghetti sauce and
pizza sauce. What am I?
Broccoli, Grapes, Celery, Banana, Tomato
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Compost Outpost
The Compost Outpost is west of the Backyard Vegetable Garden. This is a
place where people of all ages can learn about recycling yard waste into
compost for addition to your home soil. You can learn about the critters
involved in decomposition. Check out the different composters!
Healthy soil supports life on Earth. Soil contains the nutrients plants need
to grow. Adding compost adds nutrients to soil. Compost also improves
the texture, creating air spaces and allowing for water to penetrate. Plants
help soil to stay where it is. Scientists are concerned about plowing, clearcutting of forests, and urban development because those lead to erosion,
or loss of soil.
Dig into this quiz to learn more about the importance of soil.
1. Where does soil come from?
a) The auto mechanic
b) A dog that needs a bath
c) Decomposed organic matter (plants, animals and other formerly living things) and weathered rock.
ANSWER: c – Soil forms over time through the breakdown of rocks, leaves and other organic matter.
2. How many living things inhabit a teaspoon of soil?
a) About 7 or 8
b) More than 6 billion
c) Almost 6,000
ANSWER: b – One teaspoon of soil can contain 6 billion microorganisms. That’s the number of people on Earth!
3. Which of the following is true about soil?
a) It’s extremely important for food production.
b) It has an argumentative attitude and spits dirt when it talks.
c) It’s as deep as the Earth is thick.
ANSWER: a – Healthy soil is essential for growing most of the food we eat–from corn to broccoli to strawberries.
4. Which are soil problems that are happening all over the world?
a) Mudslides
b) Dust storms
c) Loss of growing potential of agricultural lands
d) All of the above
ANSWER: d – When land loses topsoil, land loses its fertility. Water, wind, and people move soil. Changing land
(such as clearing forested hillsides) causes actions such as mudslides and dust storms.
5. How long does it take for an inch of topsoil to be created?
a) Five hundred years
b) Ten years
c) One year
ANSWER: a – That’s why it’s important to protect our soils! Just think–1 inch of topsoil has formed since Columbus!
6. Which of the following activities help stabilize soils?
a) Using more pesticides to kill bugs
b) Planting trees and ground cover on yards, vacant lots, hillsides, and streamside areas.
c) Talking to plants
ANSWER: b – Plant roots do a terrific job of keeping soils in their place.
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Trial Garden
Here dozens of perennials are evaluated by our staff and
the Master Gardener volunteers. New plants are evaluated
on several qualities, including the ability to survive in north
Texas. There are mature plantings of some of the highlyrated flowers.
These flowers are attractive to pollinators.
Use the Trial Garden as your plant palette. You can choose plants by color and height—taller plants go in the
back or center of the bed. Walk around and pick several in your favorite color. Decide where to place them.
1.________________________________________Location______________________________________
2.________________________________________Location______________________________________
3.________________________________________Location______________________________________
The relationship between plants and pollinators is one of the most vital ecological processes on earth and has a major
impact on the health of our environment. The number of native pollinators has declined. Gardens provide a safe
haven for pollinators - whether a large botanic garden, a small home garden, or your school garden.
Bee A Pollinator!
Divide group into bees, hummingbirds, bats, and butterflies.
Have them look for their flower partners.
BUMBLE BEES
BATS
Are insects; they have 6 legs and 2 pairs of wings.
Visit flowers to obtain nectar and eat pollen. Nectar
provides energy for flight and is used to make honey,
and pollen provides nutrients for bee larvae.
Use their mop-like tongue to sop up nectar.
Use their jaws (mandibles) to eat pollen.
Collect pollen with their hairy bodies and comb it into
baskets on their legs.
BLUE OR YELLOW FLOWERS
Are mammals; they are furred and feed milk to their
LIGHT COLORED FLOWERS, BATS FLY AT NIGHT!
BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS
Are insects; they have 6 legs and 2 pairs of wings.
Have hundreds of overlapping scales on their wings.
Use a straw-like proboscis to drink nectar.
Are attracted to flowers by color and scent.
Collect pollen on their bodies.
BUTTERFLIES: BRIGHTLY COLORED FLOWERS
MOTHS: PALE COLORS IN THE EVENING
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babies.
Are the only mammals that truly fly.
Visit flowers to feed on the nectar and pollen.
Feed using very long, narrow tongues designed to
reach deep into the flower to sip nectar.
Have wings that are very similar to the human hand;
they even have thumbs!
HUMMINGBIRDS
Are the smallest of all birds.
Can fly forwards, backwards and upside down.
Have big appetites, visiting up to 1,000 flowers a day.
Reach into the flower with their long, narrow beaks
and use their long forked tongue to lap up nectar.
Collect pollen on their bill and facial feathers.
RED/ORANGE TRUMPET-SHAPED FLOWERS
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