The Desert Botanical Garden is a wonderful place to while away a few hours. I'd wandered by after a race and was looking for a calm activity that would stretch my legs. And this choice turned out to be perfect.
The Gardens are a mix of several different trails, each with a different theme: these range from a trail based on lifestyles of the ancient Sonoran Desert dwellers to a path based on desert wildflowers. Each path is a mixture of different desert plants mixed with educational exhibits. Highlighting the flowers are various sun-seared rock formations and distant mountains.
It's a very easy trail which is well marked; you won't get lost in the desert. A visit around sunset is also worth considering: the mix of light and shadows adds an extra dimension to the surroundings. The outer trails do close after sunset, although the inner path (The Desert Discovery Loop Trail) is lighted and remains open.
They do rent this facility out and I think it would be wonderful for catered events, weddings and the like. The Gardens definitely are a jewel for the Phoenix area.