TODAY'S HOURS: 8 AM – 6 PM

TODAY'S HOURS: 8 AM – 6 PM

Fountain bubbles in the Leonard Courtyard

Beat the Heat at the Garden this Summer

Remember Gates Open for Members at 7 a.m.

It’s one of those summers. The heat is relentless, the drought shows no sign of stopping and autumn feels like a long time away.

Water stations around the Garden allow you to refill your water bottles and stay hydrated.

It’s tempting to stay inside with the AC blasting. But the Garden can still provide a welcome respite and a breath of fresh air. Just follow these tips to beat the heat.

Arrive early. Temperatures generally drop to the low 80s overnight, and arriving at the Garden when the gates open can give you an hour or two in relative comfort. The Garden opens for the general public at 8 a.m., but remember that members can arrive as early as 7 a.m. (Not yet a member? Join today!)

Stay hydrated. Bottled water is available for sale at the Garden entrance and drinking fountains are located around the campus, but we encourage you to bring your own water bottles. You can refill water bottles at one of the eight water stations (see map here) around the campus.

Stick to the shade. Some areas of the Garden are naturally cooler than others. The Japanese Garden is deeply shaded, and the ponds help guests feel cooler. Anywhere near water features is likely to be more pleasant.

Wear sunscreen. Even if you try to remain in the shade, reflected sunlight is all around you. Avoid burns and protect your skin by applying sunscreen to yourself and your companions, especially children and the elderly, and reapply regularly.

Light brown dog at Dog Days

Dress appropriately. We recommend you wear clothes that are loose-fitting, light-colored and lightweight. It’s temping to wear as few clothes as possible, but covering your skin with a light layer is actually safer. Hats are essential for keeping the sun off your head, face and neck. Both hats and umbrellas are available for sale in the gift shop.

Remember dogs suffer from the heat as well. If you bring a canine companion to Dog Days on July 16 and 17, make sure they get lots of water. Avoid walking on pavement as temperatures rise, as hot surfaces can burn the pads on dogs’ feet. To determine if surfaces are too hot, place the back of your hand on the pavement. If you can’t hold your hand longer than 5 seconds, it’s too hot for your dog.

In fact, to keep our four-legged friends safe in our hot afternoons, July Dog Days will run from 8 am until 1 pm.

Know when to get help. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are dangerous. This guide from the Centers for Disease Control will make you familiar with the symptoms. In general, if you or a companion start to sweat heavily, feel nauseated, become dizzy, experience muscle cramps, or feel extremely thirsty move into the shade and sip water.

If you or a companion experience symptoms such as vomiting, confusion or loss of consciousness, these are signs of heatstroke, which is a medical emergency. Call 911 immediately. If you do not have a phone, signal someone nearby or flag down Garden staff, who will be glad to help.

Stay safe this summer, keep cool and enjoy the Garden!

Related Articles

Herbarium specimen from AABP project - Blakea spindet
Newsletter

Armchair Botany and the Andes to Amazon Biodiversity Program: Volunteers Make Scientists’ Hard Work Accessible

Important botanical science happens in the field. Researchers tramp across habitats, sometimes in remote and rugged regions of the world, collect plant samples, document the distribution of species and study ecosystems in action. Later those scientists return to the lab with boxes of specimens, and a new and equally important phase of research begins. Scientists label, mount and digitize specimens to make them accessible to the global science community. They become a resource that can be studied in multiple contexts–as part of an ecosystem or as a member of a particular plant family, for example.

Read More »
Group of students practice tai chi
Learn

Meditation in Motion: Discovering Tai Chi

Slow, deliberate, beautiful movement is the essence of tai chi. A practice that melds the mind and the body, tai chi improves balance and muscle strength while reducing stress and calming the mind. And you can learn all about it in the Garden’s upcoming wellness series, 24-Form Tai Chi.

Read More »
Two yellow lemons on a tree
Garden

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Citrus Trees

Picture it: you wake on a lovely fall day, walk onto your patio and pick a Satsuma mandarin from your very own tree. You peel back back the bright orange skin and bite into a perfectly ripe, tart yet sweet, orange. This could be you–with a little time, a little knowledge and a citrus tree of your own. The good news? You can find the knowledge and the trees at the upcoming Fall Plant Sale. The time you’ll need to provide yourself.

Read More »
Spray of water from an outdoor fountain
Garden

The Wonder of Water: Take your Garden to the Next Level with a Water Feature

We love our water features at the Garden, especially in the heat of summer. The long, tranquil basin that greets guests as soon as they enter the gates, the gushing fountain that stands in the center of the Rose Garden, the serene koi ponds of the Japanese Garden—there’s nothing else like the relaxing sound and sight of water. What if you could bring that peace and serenity back home with you? With a little time and effort, you can—with water features for your home garden.

Read More »
Mother and daughters on the way to school
Newsletter

Strengthen Family Connections with Back-to-School Traditions

The start of a new school year can be both stressful and thrilling. Certainly for families with school-age children, it’s a time of nervous preparation, of anxiety about the year ahead, of shopping and scheduling and strategizing. But mixed into that stress is excitement about new things to learn and new friends to meet. To foster excitement and reduce anxiety, Education Program Coordinator Joanne Howard encourages families to mark the start of the new school year by establishing family traditions.

Read More »