It’s an outdoor sanctuary in Dothan, from the koi pond to the rose garden, The Dothan Area Botanical Gardens is a product of Mother Nature, but volunteers keep it together.

"We have church groups and school groups- all types of people who will come out and work- some on a specific project and some all year long," says Miles Coleman, President of the Botanical Gardens Board.

One of the latest projects is the Coleman tropical house.

It is in the beginning stages, but will eventually be home to tropical plants.

"It's going to be based on a green house that has been donated to us; we built a block foundation so far it is going to be very pretty- a nice edition to the gardens," said Coleman.

The Ralph and Caroline Smith Botanical Center is expected to be finished by the end of this year.

This venue has a lot of purposes.

"It's about an 8,000 square foot structure that is going up and is going to host classrooms, a gift shop, kitchen, a conference room that can be used for wedding receptions and parties, it has dressing rooms."

The Michelin outdoor classroom is newly completed and used by area schools and groups so they can get a hands-on experience with nature.

If that doesn't interest you, there is also the wetlands observation platform, overlooking the creek.

"It's peaceful, it’s serene. In just a few weeks, the whole garden will be busting wide open with azaleas, then roses and then daylilies. It's free. What more could you ask for?" says Paul Angeloff, Past President of the Dothan Botanical Gardens.

The Dothan Area Botanical gardens is open Sunday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and there is an automatic gate, so be sure to watch the time.

The garden's annual spring plant sale will be taking place March 26 and 27; it's the biggest fund raiser for the facility, but if you cannot make it and you want a formal tour, call the gardens at 793-3224.