Western Montana

Many Montanans - myself included - don’t realize that Southwest Montana is home to its own botanical gardens. But it is! Located just a few minutes off Interstate 15 near Jefferson CIty lies the Tizer Gardens, home to a variety of plants, flowers, and short walking trails. My mother, being very much into gardening, heard about the place and decided to head down with me (that is, she insisted that I come with her, as I am not usually into these sorts of things!).

Upon entering the Gardens, you’ll enter a small welcoming center/gift shop where you’ll pay the $4 per person for access. Upon paying, my mother and I recieved a map of the gardens as well as a brief overview of the trails. The Gardens sits on six acres, so it’s fairly small and the trails are on the short side. 90 minutes would give you ample time to walk all the trails and get a thorough look at all the plants and flowers Tizer Gardens has to offer.

The first trail we walked took us up a fairly steep incline - this is the only portion that could potentially be difficult for the elderly and disabled. Still, it’s a very brief incline with steps along the way, with some nice views to boot! One thing that I thought was clever was the use of upside-down trees - flowers are displayed at the top of the inverted trees, where the roots form a table-like structure.

You’ll soon descend almost as fast as you climbed, and from here on out, all the trails are flat (you can avoid the incline if you wish). From down here, you’ll get a close-up look at all sorts of flowers as well as a sitting area with tables and chairs (good for a picnic, I’d think). One of the things I’ve heard they do at Tizer is a British-style tea time once or twice a week, where you can sit and be served tea in an English Garden sort of area. Quite a difference from the cultural norm here in Montana!

In order to get to Tizer, take the Jefferson City exit off Interstate 15 about twenty miles south of Helena and follow the signs to Tizer Gardens. Getting there shouldn’t be a problem at all - and for four bucks, it’s not a bad place to spend an afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised!