Nature is soothing most agree but getting the right experience where you are completely surrounded by nature is what you might be lacking. If you plan your trip to Texas, you will find yourself surrounded by the typical countryside and natural scenery. What adds more to the beauty includes Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden located in Nacogdoches district of Texas.

Despite being a part of a university, the garden has been opened to the public because of the keen interest of nature lovers. If you want to visit the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, you should read the following article as a guide.

What is the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden?

The Mize Azalea Garden Nacogdoches is a part of the Mast Arboretum in the form of a botanical garden located in the Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas. It is just one of the four large gardens located at the campus. Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden is opened for the public without any kinds of charges.

With a large size of 10 acre, the arboretum has more than 20 theme gardens that are home to over 3000 different types of plant species. There are gardens for conifer flowers, ferns, herbs, heritage plants, holly gardens, Asian valley plants, butterfly area, beehive exhibit, and vine collection as well.

When as the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden formed?

Of the ten acres at the Mast Arboretum. the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden is based on 8 acres and an area of interest for the majority. The Mast Arboretum was begun as a class project in 1985 in the university but with constant support by the management, it grew and was divided among four different gardens.

The Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden was started in 1997 and was finished in 2001. When it was initiated, it had barely a few kinds of shrubs and flowers. Currently, the garden is ranked at 2 out of the 31 top places to visit in Nacogdoches. The address of Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden is “2107 University Dr, Nacogdoches, TX 75962”

What is inside the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden?

The Mize Azalea Garden Nacogdoches has different types of collections in the garden from other Arboretums and Universities such as from North Carolina State University Arboretum and the United States National Arboretum. Currently, this garden has more than 7000 azaleas shrubs, 200 camellias, and 200 Japanese maple varieties. Recently, the Hydrangea varieties were also brought to the garden. Other than these common ones, there are 400 other kinds of trees and shrubs in this garden which are quite rare in the world.

What to do in the Garden?

There is a 20 miles long track throughout the garden where one can take a complete round to view all the different types of trees and shrubs present at the zoo. The garden is famous for the constant fragrance of the shrubs and flowers which is spread throughout the garden. You can stop by the different types of plants and shrubs to take your pictures. Enjoy the scenery and listen to the chimes of the birds that reside among these trees. We do not recommend plucking out leaves or flowers from the garden without permission from the concerned.

Since it is a public garden, there are only a few small snack stalls available over here. Littering around is strictly prohibited and could lead to fine if you do so in any case. You can come here with your bicycle as well as you can bring your pets here to have a fun time in the evening. There are friendly people in the park and hitting up a conversation with them could help you kill your time.

When should I visit Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden?

It becomes ideal to visit the garden during the spring season since it is completely open air. If you go here in the extreme winters or in hot summers of Texas, you might not be enjoying it as much. However, there are visitors at the garden all year round. Keep in mind that on the national holidays, the garden might be closed for the public as well so don’t make a plan on any of the holidays like Christmas.

The timings to visit the garden are not restricted as the arboretum and gardens are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The total 20 miles track could possibly take you about two and a half hours to complete plus some extra time for stopping and having snacks or probably pictures. Therefore, plan accordingly so that you visit it completely in one go. Even if you can’t visit it completely one day, you can always go out again because the entries are completely free.

Visitors at the garden are allowed a free parking space as well if they come on weekends. There are multiple parking spots near the Johnson Coliseum as well as the Star Avenue. If you are a frequent visitor, you can request the Stephen F. Austin State University for a free visitor’s pass for all times.

We also recommend you visit it at a time when special events are being held at the garden. This includes the Little Princess Tea Party event which is held annually. Trail tours are available for groups who are interested in historical knowledge about the garden as well as the different types of plants that are grown over here.

Other Traveler Reviews

On the whole, it got a 4.5 star rating out of 5 stars based on reviews by the people who visited this garden. Those who went there said that one should definitely bring their professional cameras and phones over here for a perfect photography experience that you might not find anywhere else in Texas. Most users said that their visit in the Spring season was the best one for the fact that the flowers were blooming, and the shrubs were fully ready. Others enjoyed the fall season with the dryness of the garden and fallen leaves on the ground.

Many travelers said that they never wanted to leave this place as it appeared to be a heaven on earth. Some stated that they went again and again to visit the garden because they were not fully satisfied in their one visit. With directions everywhere, the visitors found it easy to navigate in the garden from one end to the other one. Many people interested in exercise visit the park early in the morning. “Colors everywhere help me in having a fresh start for the day”, said Sarah, a frequent traveler to the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden.

Important Notes

Considering it a public park, many travelers don’t realize that they are causing a distraction to its beauty by littering around. Visitors are requested to not bring any kind of glass bottles as they could break and could be in tracks of people coming to visit here. Moreover, one should not be carrying any kinds of illegal equipment such as weapons or even knives.

There are specific rules for the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden that is clearly mentioned on the entrance of the gate. Please make sure that you not only read all of them but abide by them as well if you want your visit to be a good one for you as well as for others.

There are restrooms at different spots in the garden.

Conclusion

The Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden is one of the best places for nature lovers. It has the amazing natural vibes that many look for but are unable to find. With the cool fragrance of the flowers as well as the scenic look that is here, it would become a spot that you might remember for a long time. For those who are not from Texas, make sure that you contact the garden management before coming so that you are aware if the garden has been closed for any reason.

If you have spare time, check out on the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens