Road Trip Around Montana – Tizer Garden
Author: Brenda Phillips
Tizer Garden
Brenda Phillips
On a recent weekend ride, we made the drive to the Tizer Botanical Gardens in the Jefferson City area. It is always an adventure to visit the Tizer Garden anytime between May and Oct. The visit starts with an ice cream bar at the gift shop entrance. The garden is a self-guided tour but I wanted to know more about it so I found this information on their website.
Tizer Gardens began in 1997 when Richard Krott and Belva Lotzer fell in love with and purchased a small piece of property on Tizer Lake Road, near Jefferson City. Gardening provided stress relief and a sort of therapy for Richard as he recovered from cancer.
They began developing gardens along the creek and attacking large patches of noxious weeds and replacing them with Cosmos. By the spring of 2000, people had begun to notice the flowers in the couple’s garden and they were finding visitors in their garden at all hours of the day and night. That year they decided to open the gardens on weekends for visitors.
Early in 2005 the Krott’s came to know Panayoti Keladis, chief plant curator for the Denver Botanic Gardens. It was his persuasion that convinced the couple to apply for and receive designation as an official Botanic Garden and Arboretum, the only one in western Montana. People are welcome to bring their picnic and spend the day, walking through the gardens, reading, writing, painting or just enjoying the company of friends and family.
Tizer Gardens is home to many festivals such as “Things with Wings” Festival, and the very popular Fairy and Wizard Children’s Festival. At other times you can enjoy Shakespeare in the Garden, Healing Fairs, Celebration of Herbs and numerous Fall events. You can enjoy high tea in the garden or have your wedding there.
Nestled in the crook of the Prickley Pear Creek is the original homesteader’s cabin which was built over 140 years ago and restored by the couple in 1999. Folks can rent out the cabins, which gives an opportunity to spend private time in the Gardens with no one else around.
Today ½ of the property is a very popular garden center, with 2 greenhouses and a retail operation that specializes in high altitude, cold hardy trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals.
Today the gardens are run by Belva and a very dedicated staff, since the loss of Richard in 2021. Tizer Garden is a good place to to leave the world behind, relax, unwind and enjoy a little piece of paradise. Kurt & I enjoy flowers and love to stroll around the garden to see the different varieties of flowers, that we could add to our yard.
Article Images
Click on Image Thumbnail(s) to view fullsize image
PhotoCredit: Photo Credits: Brenda Phillips
Image 1 Caption: Tizer Gardens Entrance
Photo Credits: Brenda Phillips
Image 2 Caption: Wooden arch over the entrance to the meadow & gazebo
Photo Credits: Brenda Phillips
Image 3 Caption: One of the many fairy doors in the garden
Photo Credits: Brenda Phillips
Image 4 Caption: The 140+ year old homesteader cabin in the garden
Photo Credits: Brenda Phillips
Image 5 Caption: Fairy coach in the garden
Photo Credits: Brenda Phillips
