The University of Rhode Island Botanical Gardens is a 4.5-acre public garden on the Kingston campus that combines free public access with an educational mission. Established in 1992 as the Learning Landscape through donated materials and labor from the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association, it was renamed the URI Botanical Gardens in 2003. The gardens function both as a campus landscape and as a demonstration garden for sustainable plants and gardening practices. Their themed areas include home and formal gardens, a shade garden, conservatory, rose garden, and other specialized spaces that showcase practical horticultural methods and planting ideas suited to Rhode Island.