The Gardens at Central Park, Broken Arrow

The new destination garden is located in a former softball field.

The City of Broken Arrow and Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful celebrated the grand opening of The Gardens at Central Park, 1500 S. Main St., located west of the Central Park Community Center.

“For several years, Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful members had the vision of a garden in Central Park,” said Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful Chair Sharon Atcheson. “Our dream has become a reality, it’s finally happened! We are so grateful to the Broken Arrow residents who supported the GO Bond in 2018, which provided funding. This garden belongs to all of us. This lovely amenity to our City will be a peaceful place for everyone to enjoy and a perfect place for prom, graduation, and family pictures.”

A Destination Garden

The Gardens at Central Park is a 33,000-square-foot destination garden with open grassy areas and native plants to attract pollinators.

Initially, the idea was to create a large rose garden to complement the city’s historic moniker from the 1920s through the 1950s, as the “City of Roses and Sparkling Spring Water.” However, after disease killed many of the roses at the Tulsa Rose Garden at Woodward Park, a decision was made to add a variety of trees, plants, and flowers in addition to the roses.

Plantings in the Gardens Include:

• Large Canopy Trees: Oaks, Maples, Ginkgoes, and Cypress.
• Ornamental Trees: Oklahoma Redbud, Holly, and Serviceberries.
• Feature plantings: Agastache, Asters, Butterfly Weed, Joe Pye Weed, Phlox, Bee Balm, Sunflower, Bell Flowers, Mexican Hat Plant, Rue, and Roses.
• Herbs: Ornamental Garlic, Chives, Basil, Oregano, Thyme, and Rosemary.

“Building projects that improve our citizens’ quality of life, like The Gardens at Central Park, are some of the most rewarding endeavors we do as a city,” said Mayor Debra Wimpee. “This garden will become a landmark, distinguishing our city for generations as the trees and plants continue to bloom and grow. By encouraging pollination, The Gardens at Central Park will not only be a beautiful and serene destination for residents and visitors to the community, but it will also encourage sustainability, and it will help Broken Arrow continue to flourish as a community.”

Architectural Elements of The Gardens at Central Park

Architectural elements include a pergola, an entry plaza, and a water feature. The Gardens at Central Park are situated in a previously underutilized area of Central Park that was once home to the city’s softball fields before they were moved to Arrowhead Park.

Visitors can stroll along the walkways to appreciate the gardens’ beauty, enjoy the bubbling water’s soothing sounds, explore the growing arboretum, and relax in the open grassy areas perfect for picnics and play.