by Anna Holton-Dean | Photos courtesy of Tulsa Botanic Garden
“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’ ” — Robin Williams
If you’re looking for ways to enjoy the warmer temps of spring and all nature
has to offer, Tulsa Botanic Garden and its resident cats are ready to show you a good time.
Since it opened in 2009, Tulsa Botanic Garden has been fulfilling its mission to promote the beauty and importance of plants and nature to create a more sustainable and harmonious world. In 2015, Tulsa Botanic Garden’s “unofficial greeter” Linden was adopted from City of Tulsa Animal Welfare.
“Linden has been with us since before we opened the Tandy Floral Terraces,” says Lori Hutson, director of communications and outreach at Tulsa Botanic Garden. “His ‘gotcha’ date is February 25, 2015. [He] is the oldest. Larry joined us in July of 2018. Larry was part of a litter of kittens that lost their mother. One of our horticulturists knew the person fostering the kittens.”
Fittingly, Linden and Larry (short for Laurel) are both named after plants, explains Hutson. “Linden is a common name of trees in the Tilia genus. Another common name for them is basswood. There are many types of laurels, usually shrubs with evergreen, glossy leaves.”
Both Linden and Larry are indoor-outdoor cats — coming and going during the day and staying in at night. And similarly, “They are both pretty spoiled,” says Hutson.
“In Linden’s case, it may be from our guests as well as staff, and in Larry’s case, it’s our horticulture staff. They both provide some great comic relief in the workday.”
However, the two cats have distinguishing appearances and personalities.
“Most people are more familiar with Linden; he’s older and is our unofficial greeter,” Hutson adds. “He mostly hangs out in and around our visitor center and is very interested in greeting everyone who walks in, taking them on tours (aka walking with them in the garden), and hanging out for lots of attention from admirers of all ages. He is all black.
“Laurel (Larry) is playful and more vocal than Linden. He is a bit more independent and stays busy with naps and patrolling our horticulture shop.”
Friendly Tour Guide Available
“Linden loves our visitors!” Hutson says. “He started out as a barn cat, but he moved over to the visitor center a number of years ago and has found his calling as greeter of all guests. Linden will often sit and watch out our front doors for visitors and be sure to get noticed once they’ve come inside our visitor center. He will follow along with people on their walks and find guests when he’s out strolling the garden.
“Linden is really great with children, but if he’s ready for some alone time, he has places to go where he can watch everything going on from a distance. He’s curious and loves to photobomb, whether it’s local news reporters or someone taking senior pictures. He somehow knows what’s going on and gets in the middle of it if he can.”
Hutson adds, “Linden is quite the charmer and has been mentioned in our Google reviews more than once. We have Linden postcards, stickers, T-shirts, and black plush cats in our gift shop. Our members and regular visitors, especially the kids, look for him and ask about him when they arrive.”
Dressed Up and Ready To Party
“Laurel (Larry) is our rat-wrangling barn cat, and he does it all dressed to the nines,” Hutson says. “He’s a tuxedo cat! Larry was born cross-eyed, but that doesn’t hold him back. Most days during the winter, you can find him curled up in front of the heater. During the summer, his favorite spot is on the seat of the tractor.
“He’s lazy during the day because he spends his nights partying in our barn. Larry doesn’t stroll the garden unless he’s forced to, so if you’re ever lucky enough to meet him, bring a lint roller! He’s a snuggler.”
Spring Events
The second Saturday of most months, Tulsa Botanic Garden hosts Dog Days. These are special days when dogs can visit along with their families for a walk and sniff around the garden.
And don’t miss the Spring Online Plant Sale, May 2 –15, with more than 100 types of plants available. Proceeds from the sale benefit Tulsa Botanic Garden; members get to shop first and receive a discount.
“We have just added First Friday Horticulture Tours, a walking tour with a staff horticulturist (and maybe a feline) at 1 p.m. on the first Friday. There is no charge other than admission, but we do ask for preregistration,” Hutson says.
To see Tulsa Botanic Garden’s full calendar of activities, visit https://www.tulsabotanic.org or follow on Facebook @ tulsabotanicgarden.
ABOUT TULSA BOTANIC GARDEN
Tulsa Botanic Garden is eight miles northwest of downtown Tulsa. It is open year-round and offers a twoacre Children’s Discovery Garden, a three-acre ornamental garden called Tandy Floral Terraces, and Lakeside Promenade, a three-fourthmile trail with planting beds that encircle the lake. “We just recently broke ground for two new gardens going under construction — the Bumgarner Lotus Pool Garden and the Stanford Family Liberty Garden. Estimated completion for both is mid-2023,” says Lori Hutson, director of communications and outreach.
Tulsa Botanic Garden is a nonprofit organization which receives support through
memberships and donations from the community. For more information, visit https://www.tulsabotanic. org or follow on Facebook @ tulsabotanicgarden.
HOURS: March-October hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with late hours until 8 p.m. Thursday March 17 through April 14.
TICKETS: Advance tickets, with timed entry, via online purchase are currently required. Admission is free for Tulsa Botanic Garden members; advance tickets are $8 for ages 16 and older and $4 for ages three through 15. Children two years old and younger are free. If available, same-day tickets will be $1 to $2 higher per ticket.
