10Best: Botanic gardens that think beyond the flower

With spring in full blossom, botanical gardens are in their busy season. But the landscaped sites now offer more than just beds of blooms. Gardens have evolved to host interactive exhibits and art installations, encouraging visitors to reconnect with nature, says Michel Gauthier of the North American Garden Tourism Conference, which recently honored top innovative parks. "Gardens are stress relievers. They are more and more relevant to the quality of life." He shares the winning gardens and other favorites with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Miami
From palms to water lilies to tropical fruit, this huge garden takes full advantage of its subtropical location. "It has that climate where they can push the envelope," Gauthier says. "There is a bit of a wow factor with water gardens and lakes." An annual July mango festival attracts thousands for a plant sale, cooking demonstrations and displays. 305-667-1651; fairchildgarden.org

The Huntington
San Marino, Calif.
This former estate includes an expanding art museum, a library and a top-notch collection of 12 gardens covering 120 acres. Gauthier likes the imaginative offerings, which includes special tours and garden teas. Highlights include a conservatory and Japanese, Chinese and desert gardens. Other collections range from carnivorous plants to camellias. 626-405-2100; huntington.org

Butchart Gardens
Brentwood Bay, Canada
It's hard to believe this stunning garden near Victoria was once a quarry, but now it attracts nearly one million visitors a year. "The quality of their garden display is unbelievable. You won't find a dead leaf or a weed there," Gauthier says. "You're not only getting a garden, but a historical site. It has been there for 100 years." 866-652-4422; butchartgardens.com

Longwood Gardens
Kennett Square, Pa.
One of the world's top gardens, Longwood, developed by industrialist Pierre du Pont, doesn't rest on its laurels. It attracts major exhibits, offers fantastic summer fountain and fireworks shows, and was even honored last year for having the country's best public bathrooms, which include a green wall with 47,000 living plants. Thirty miles away, Chanticleer Garden in Wayne, Pa., is noteworthy for its English-style design, Gauthier says. 610-388-1000; longwoodgardens.org

Atlanta Botanical Garden
Located on the edge of Piedmont Park in Atlanta's midtown area, this garden has taken an innovative approach since opening in the 1970s. Highlights include a canopy walk, an edible garden with an outdoor kitchen, and a huge orchid display. It recently opened "Forest of Light," a special nighttime exhibit, featuring hundreds of miles of fiber optics. 404-876-5859; atlantabg.org

Denver Botanic Gardens
This popular garden has Wi-Fi and sunrise yoga classes. It also welcomes picnics, and hosts special indoor and outdoor exhibits, like the display this summer of minimalistic horse sculptures. Gauthier particularly likes the children's garden: "It's on a slope. You go down to various levels, and when you get down to the bottom, you get a completely different view." 720-865-3500; botanicgardens.org

Vallarta Botanical Gardens
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
While it's just 10 years old, this garden has quickly become part of the visitor experience in this Pacific Coast city. "Twenty years ago, people just went there for the beach, now the garden is part of it," Gauthier says. Displays focus on native Mexican plants, including orchids, showcased in a new conservatory. Further up the coast, Jardin Botanico de Culiacan focuses on incorporating art within garden displays. vbgardens.org

Desert Botanical Garden
Phoenix
This Arizona site works wonders with cacti and other desert plants, including some that only flower at night. "It's like something you've never seen before. They just played with the desert and created an unbelievable garden," Gauthier says. The park's known for its agave collection, and includes plants from Australia and South America. 480-941-1225; dbg.org

Montreal Botanical Garden
This huge 185-acre garden near the city's Olympic Stadium has 10 exhibition greenhouses along with an arboretum, showcasing a wide variety of trees. There's an alpine garden, and a First Nations area, featuring plants associated with Canada's indigenous population. "I like the layout. You just go from one style to another. It takes you through the different experiences," Gauthier says. espacepourlavie.ca/en

Myriad Botanical Gardens
Oklahoma City
This 15-acre urban garden reaches out to its community with an outdoor theater, band shell and even a dog park. A meadow area features plants from the Oklahoma Ozarks, while its centerpiece, a tropical conservatory, includes palms, waterfalls and animals. 405-445-7080; myriadgardens.org