According to Amarillo Botanical Garden director Jackie Wilson, studies show that when people walk into a beautiful garden, their blood pressure drops.

That being the case, the opening of the Mary E. Bivins Tropical Conservatory as well as the expansion of the Amarillo Botanical Gardens will be lowering a lot of blood pressure for Amarillo residents and visitors.

The 6,000 square foot conservatory opened in June, after a two-year construction and installation schedule that saw much of the work completed by Amarillo Botanical Garden volunteers. The conservatory includes hundreds of tropical specimens, all kept at a tropical temperature and humidity.

Timed with construction of the tropical conservatory has been the re-construction of outdoor themed gardens and pathways covering the Amarillo Botanical Gardens’ grounds.

And this summer, the Amarillo Botanical Gardens has added a "Music in the Gardens" series with the help of Amarillo Opera and Amarillo College.

Admission prices for adults are $4, seniors over the age of 60 are $3 and children under 12 are $2.

Executive Director Jackie Wilson is outspoken on the importance of gardens to residents and visitors.

"Growing is such a challenge in the Texas Panhandle. We can't just stick something in the ground and expect it to grow. So the contrast of tropical plants in our semi-arid environment is very interesting. The conservatory brings a lot of species here to Amarillo that we wouldn’t ordinarily see."

"The bottom line is tropical or native plants, I want the Amarillo Botanical Gardens to be a beautiful, restful place for everyone to enjoy," Wilson says.

The gardens are located in the Harrington Regional Medical Center at 1400 Streit Drive, just across the parking lot from the Don Harrington Discovery Center and the Helium Monument. For more information, call 806-352-6513 or visit www.amarillobotanicalgardens.org.