Four Seasons statues, placed in each corner of the Garden, represent spring, summer, autumn and winter. Each of the women are made of Carrara marble, the same Italian marble used by Michelangelo to carve the statue of David.  As you walk through the garden, the women get older through the seasons and their dresses grow longer.

Shakespeare’s Bust is a copy of Roubiliac’s Shakespeare, which is housed in the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC. The Bust is located between the Boxwoods and surrounded by Incense Cedar Trees.

The Arton Sundial is one of only twelve in the world and found near the Garden’s exit. Manufactured in Sweden, the King of Sweden has the first edition.  As the sun hits the piano wire, it casts a shadow onto the dial and indicates the time of day. It is known to be one of the most accurate sundials in the world.

The Shakespeare Panels screen the Garden’s exit with 12 laser cut pieces of steel. Each contains a unique quote from Shakespeare’s writings.  Crafted in Colby, Kansas, sunlight shines through the panels in the evening and illuminates the cutout design.

• Funded by Project Beauty, the Shakespeare Garden was the second garden built at Botanica. The limestone Central Fountain was installed in 2009 to recognize the Garden’s water source.

• Thornless Hawthorn Trees shade each bench in the Shakespeare Garden. Hawthorn Trees can have thorns or be thornless. Christ’s crown of thorns was reportedly made of Hawthorn Trees. Europeans used Hawthorn wood for spiritual protection, attaching it to babies’ cradles, windows and doorways to protect against illness. Native Americans used the large, black thorns and hard wood as tools, weapons and fuel.

• One of the many unique plants in this Garden is the Voodoo Plant, also known as the Corpse Flower or Devil’s Tongue. Found at the foot of the front steps, it blooms for only one to two days and smells like rotting meat. The smell attracts pollinators, primarily flies. When in bloom, you will see flies hovering overhead.

• Incense Cedar Trees are native to the mountains of the far west, from Oregon to Mexico. Wood from these trees is traditionally used in cedar chests, siding, decks and pencils. In decay, it repels moths. On a warm day, the foliage is aromatic.