Located in Sedgwick County, Kansas, Botanica, The Wichita Gardens is a botanical garden at about 398 m (1,306 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Wichita, about 2.4 km (1.5 mi) away (Botanica, The Wichita Gardens lies W of town).
Botanica, The Wichita Gardens was opened in 1987 as a collaboration between the Wichita Area Garden Council and the City of Wichita. Originally it had four gardens and now encompasses 17.6 acres (7.12 hectares) of botanical gardens located at 701 North Amidon, Wichita, Kansas, USA. They are city-owned as part of the Wichita Park System and are operated by Botanica, Inc. a non-profit 501(c)3. The gardens include: an aquatic collection; butterfly garden and 2,880 square foot (270 m2) butterfly house featuring pansy exhibits during the winter; greenhouse for tropical plants; juniper collection with more than 30 types of junipers; peony collection of 104 cultivars; pinetum; rock garden with sedum and sempervivum; rose garden with more than 350 rose plants; sensory garden; Shakespearean garden; woodlands with azaleas, dogwoods, elm, hackberry, honey locust, mulberry, osage orange, and...From the Wikipedia article “Botanica, The Wichita Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Botanica, The Wichita Gardens the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:09 AM | 59° ENE | 8:55 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 120° ESE | 5:15 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 33m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:15 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:03 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:37 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:50 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 34m |
Local time (America/Chicago), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:27 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:38 AM – 5:18 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 4:27 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 4:08 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:41 PM – 2:41 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:01 PM – 12:41 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:37 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:20 PM – 8:40 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.73 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (56%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 74 | 77 | 85 | 96 | 103 | 108 | 113 | 114 | 108 | 95 | 84 | 71 |
| Low °F | -7 | -3 | 0 | 21 | 33 | 48 | 55 | 51 | 42 | 21 | 16 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this botanical garden
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
FAQ
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.