Shangri La Botanical Gardens, Orange Texas

The Line Garden

Lines make up the composition of this garden, with most plants growing in confident vertical lines and others in contrasting horizontal patterns. A prominent plant is the horsetail (Equisetum), an evergreen plant with a hollow green stalk, rudimentary leaves, and a very long history. Since Roman times, the horsetail has been known as the "scouring rush" because its stem contains grains of silica that can scour pots or burnish metal or wood. Related to ferns, the horsetail is a descendant of ancient plants that grew 90-feet tall in forests. As the plants died, they helped form the coal beds of North America and Europe. Also featured in this garden area are two species of bamboo, Bambusa oldhamii and B. multiplex "Fernleaf", as well as Louisiana and African irises and heavenly bamboo [Nandina].

The Hanging Garden

The Hanging Gardens preserve some simple stone terracing from H.J. Lutcher Stark's original garden. This terraced area was replanted in honor of Stark, who likely created this garden in his...

The Color Garden

The Color Garden demonstrates the many shades of one single color that can be seen in nature. One can forget that pink is a shade of bright red, with many other shades in between. As the seasons change...

The Contrast Garden

This garden takes advantage of the huge variety of color that plants express. Like a living color wheel, the plants in this garden complement each other...

The Shape Garden

This garden includes plants that can grow naturally in a specific shape or be trimmed to create one. Shapes in this garden include columns, circles, squares, pyramids, and more. A prominent plant is the...

The Texture Garden

This garden features visual and physical elements of texture. The specimens in The Texture Garden express texture in a visual way - you’ll notice qualities of coarseness or fineness through leaf...

Bird Blind

The state-of-the-art bird blind at Shangri La allows visitors an up-close look at the birds nesting within Shangri La’s Ruby Lake. The lake is approximately 15 acres and provides a home to more...

Heronry

Shangri La’s Ruby Lake has become a heronry for as many as 17 species of birds that nest there at various times of the year. These birds have chosen this spot because they are close to food...

Water Wall

This wall along the edge of the property is made of brick salvaged from a warehouse in Arkansas. White noise created by water streaming from the wall helps block out the sounds of cars speeding...

Pond of the Blue Moon

In James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon, the mystical Shangri La was located in a valley called the Valley of the Blue Moon. Within Shangri La, the Pond of the Blue Moon is the area chosen to reflect...

Magnolia Terrace

The pattern in the walk in this area mimic the same pattern found on magnolia cones. The circular area in the middle plaza include spring flowering bulbs, mondo grass, and magnolia trees...

Frog Ponds

The Frog Ponds were a part of the original garden and are bordered by cobbles imported from France. The plantings are framed by two matching Himalayan fan palms and seasonal color. The...