Tulsa Botanic Garden A.R. & Marylouise Tandy Floral Terraces

The Tulsa Botanic Garden, a 170-acre public garden northwest of downtown Tulsa in the scenic Osage Hills, celebrates the beauty and importance of plants while promoting a more sustainable world. Guided by a comprehensive master plan, the garden features themed gardens, preserved native woodlands and prairie, and a seven-acre lake. Signature spaces include the A.R. & Marylouise Tandy Floral Terraces, the playful Josephine G. & Timothy W. Driskill Children’s Discovery Garden, and the reflective Stanford Family Liberty Garden. The garden welcomes visitors year-round with seasonal events, including the popular Botanic Garden of Lights festival.

In collaboration with StudioOutside and 3.fromme DESIGN, Howell & Vancuren, now part of Wallace Design Collective, was engaged by Tulsa Botanic Garden to lead design development, construction documentation and site observation for the A.R. & Marylouise Tandy Floral Terraces. 

As the garden’s first central feature, the four-acre site navigates a dramatic 30-foot grade change and showcases a cascading water system with chadars, basins, and weirs that stretch nearly 300 linear feet into Centennial Lake, the system’s source. The project also included extensive site development – walks, plazas, retaining walls, garden structures, three fountain features, 200 cubic yards of custom soil backfill and densely planted display gardens – creating a vibrant, multi-level landscape experience.

photography: ©Vast Media