The Springfield Park District's Washington Park Botanical Garden is a place for enjoyment and education. The Garden provides a scene of tranquility and beauty, an oasis of nature, within an urban environment. Visitors enjoy the color of annual and perennial flower beds, the fragrance of the Rose Garden, and the refreshing shade of our many evergreen and deciduous trees. The Garden is also a place for learning. Only through education can we hope to value and protect the delicate balance of nature. Educational workshops are offered at the Garden throughout the year. School tours for preschool through college level are conducted free of charge. Horticultural information is available in the form of guidebooks, handouts, interpretive labeling and a telephone consultation program. And, of course, there are the plant collections themselves. Over 1200 species of plants can be found at the Garden—the rare and unusual, as well as "old favorites" displayed in new and exciting ways.