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Temple Square Gardens

Temple Square is the heart of Salt Lake City and the HQ of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Square is managed to show a naturalistic approach to planting design. There are no straight lines but substantial use is made of bedding plants. There is extensive garden lighting and Christmas has become a popular visiting time. The Mormon Conference Center Roof Garden (4 acres) imitates native grassland, with wild flowers and water channels.

Head Gardener's Comment

The design of these gardens varies from formal French parterres to old-fashioned, English cottage gardens like those you might find in front of Anne Hathaway's cottage at Stratford. There are giant Victorian flower baskets and other garden areas featuring drought-tolerant plants native to our western deserts.

Photograph © Temple Square
Photograph © Temple Square

History

The gardens are redesigned every six months and replanted by hundreds of volunteers.

Plants of note

There are 250 flowerbeds, more than 165,000 bedding plants, and over 750 varieties of plants from all over the world.

Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, 84150

April 7, 2008 through the end of September. Tours on the Church Office Building Plaza are held Monday through Friday at 12 p.m. (meet inside the south doors of the Church Office Building), Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. (meet outside the south doors of the Church Office Building), and Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. (meet at the east gate of Temple Square). Tours on the Conference Center Roof are given Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. (meet at door 15). Private and group tours can be scheduled by calling 801-240-5916.

Tours are free.

Visit the Temple Square Gardens website

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