The Idaho Botanical Garden is a living museum providing visitors with a stimulating experience in nature. Garden features include native and exotic plant communities, theme and display gardens, and education programs. The Garden began as the vision of Christopher Davidson, Ph.D. in Botany, who brought together the Garden’s first Board of Directors in 1984. Their mission was to stimulate interest in, appreciation for, and an understanding of gardening, horticulture, botany and conservation of natural resources. This was to be achieved by development of a plant collection and education within an aesthetic landscape. The Garden leases 33 acres from the State of Idaho, of which approximately 15 acres are currently under cultivation. State endowment lands in the Boise foothills behind the Garden are used for nature hikes and environmental education. The Idaho Botanical Garden is a private, non-profit corporation existing without state or federal funding. The Garden is completely dependent on tax-deductible contributions from community-minded citizens, corporations, foundations, and site leasing. Fourteen gardens have been designed and cultivated since 1984.