Photo Tour
Welcome to My Big Backyard!
This family garden is a place for jumping, splashing, digging, creating, daydreaming, discovering, and simply enjoying time spent outdoors.
We hope that you will visit us often, and that you will be inspired by what you see. It's easy to create opportunities in your own backyard for children to build and strengthen their connections with the natural world.
My Big Backyard includes more than a dozen unique areas, all designed to spark discovery and imagination. Many of these spaces change with the seasons, so you'll find new things to do and see each time you visit.
Home Sweet Home
Come on in and learn about the important roles that plants play in our homes!
Seedling Circle
Explore the shapes and colors of this hands-on garden for our smallest sprouts!
Leaping Lawn
Run, jump, play "yard" games, and follow our bird stepping stones in this open play space.
Treetop Adventure
Get a bird's eye view of the Garden and learn about our feathered friends.
Nature Play
Use nature's toy box to build forts, have a puppet show, and make natural works of art.
Guest House and My Little Garden
Enjoy a little Southern hospitality, cool off on the front porch, sip a cold drink from our Lemonade Stand & relax! Our Guest House is also available for rental events; call us at 901-636-4106 to plan a special event. My Little Garden includes a mud-pie making station, scarecrows to dress, and seasonal backyard garden beds.
Decomposition Maze
Weave your way through this maze of leaf litter critters!
Backyard Bluff and Wormville
Wiggle like a worm through larger-than-life worm tunnels, then become a rock star on the outdoor stage...your audience can take a seat on the giant worm "benches" as you create rhythms on the marimbas, drums, and bells.
Playhouse Lane
Have fun exploring these whimsical, artistic play spaces
Pond Out Back and Conifer Corner
Discover interesting bog plants and creatures that call this pond home from the floating dock, or relax and enjoy the view from a shaded swing in Conifer Corner.
Welcome Wildlife
Experience the "buzz" of Pollination Pass and the Butterfly Patio in this wild garden space. Learn how you can welcome wildlife like birds, butterflies, and bees to your own backyard.
Raindrop Stop and Critter Creek
Get ready to splash in the raindrops when you hear the thunder, then follow the cycle of the falling water down Critter Creek.
This unique natural space changes themes each year, with whimsical plantings and creative ideas to try at home. Take a look at some of our past concepts, and stay tuned for upcoming exhibits!