The Fort Worth Botanic Garden will soon see a major new addition.

The $25 million Baker Martin Family Garden is expected to begin construction in mid-November, said Sara Richardson, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden’s vice president for advancement. A groundbreaking ceremony is set for Nov. 16.

Visitors should expect to see a grand opening in summer 2025 — in time for families to bring their kids during summer break. 

The space is more than a garden and will be a place where children can touch, dig and splash without the threat of someone saying no, said Richardson.

“We want kids to come, engage and interact. We expect kids to come in dry and leave wet,” Richardson said.

The family garden has been in the works for over 20 years, said Brooke Lively, the Fort Worth Garden Club oversight chair. More recently, garden leaders identified the family garden as a priority in their 20-year master plan. Fort Worth City Council members adopted the updated strategy early last year. 

Lou Baker Martin, the namesake of the new addition, had great affinity for the Fort Worth Botanic Garden because her father was a partner in Baker Brothers Nursery, the donors of the Rose Garden’s original rose bushes in 1934. The Louella and Nicholas Martin Charitable Fund’s decision to become the lead donor in the project reflects Martin’s lifelong appreciation for the garden. 

“For decades, the Fort Worth Garden Club has wanted a garden, especially for children at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden,” Richardson said.

The garden is woven with teaching moments, enhancing the Fort Worth Botanic Garden’s philosophy of nature play, Richardson said.

The garden has a solar system theme, with Earth, Venus, Mercury and Mars exhibits featuring misters to cool people off and create rainbows that children can enjoy, Richardson said.

The last planet featured in the garden is Jupiter. The area around Jupiter will include a shade structure with musical instruments and play equipment that represent galaxies. 

The garden also will include more terrestrial features, such as native Texas plants, a plateau and bodies of water.

“We have gone on missions to go out and find the plants that you would see at Big Bend,” Richardson said.

The hill leading up to the plateau is designed with the intention of kids rolling down and getting dirty. At the top of the plateau, a play area depicting the life cycle is planned. The chain starts with a snake tunnel that children can crawl through. The snake leads to the toad, followed by a spider with a web on which kids can climb. 

Organizers see the play area as assisting with children’s motor skill development. The garden will have a creek in which kids can splash and learn how natural streams function. 

The creek will flow into a real frog pond with dragonflies and tadpoles. A bridge with a stone ledge is planned for the pond so kids can lie down and get a closer view of the ecosystem, Richardson said. 

Another hands-on area is the teaching pavilion. The pavilion will be the center for educational classes, story times and gardening activities, Richardson said.