In a flawed attempt at garden maintenance, amateurs often construct a scarebee to deter pesky pollinators from cross-contaminating precious thoroughbred plants. Experience an expertly cultivated garden with today's deal at Desert Botanical Garden, located next to Papago Park. Choose between the following options:

• For $7, you get one admission to Desert Botanical Garden (a $15 value).
• For $25, you get $50 worth of Garden Shop merchandise.

Brimming with more than 50 acres of desert plants, the Desert Botanical Garden fascinates more than 300,000 horticulture rubberneckers each year. The dry-weather dome plays host to more than 50,000 varieties of flora and rests as one of only 44 botanical gardens with the American Association of Museum's scrupulous seal of approval. Entrust Astroturf and wax fruit trees to the baby-sitter and embark on four plant-lined trails, such as the Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail, which features splendid vistas of the infinite desert and the far-off mountains, or mosey through the Harriet K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower Loop, a showcase of untamed stembounds packed into two scenic acres.a

Desert Botanical's Garden Shop barters all manner of backyard bedeckery, such as horticultural books, gifts, trail guides, and desert-inspired edibles. Bait feral cattle-callers with Hopi blue-corn pancake mix and prickly pear syrup ($12 general, $10.80 members), or accompany lonely terra-cotta gargoyles with a steel jackrabbit duo sculpture ($32 general, $28.80 members).

Reviews

Frommer’s recommends the Desert Botanical Garden with an "exceptional" three-star rating. TripAdvisors give Desert Botanical Garden an average of 4.5 owl eyes, more than 130 Yelpers give it an average of 4.5 stars, and Insider Pagers give it an average of five stars.

• This botanic garden displays more than 20,000 desert plants from around the world, and its Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail is the state's best introduction to Southwestern ethnobotany – Frommer’s
• If you are at all interested in plants, flowers etc. this is really worth the effort. One of my favorite places in Phoenix. Especially beautiful at night. – Deborah V., Insider Pages