Meditation Garden and Pond

As we continue deeper into the gardens, you will come across the Meditation Garden nestled next to the pond.

Meditation Garden

Torii, which is japanese for gates, greet you as you enter the garden and are typical of traditional Japanese gardens. The Meditation Garden is a great space for quiet contemplation and a peaceful atmosphere. It’s patterned after meditation gardens in Asia, by incorporating flowering crabapple trees, rhododendron, viburnum, evergreens and ginkgo trees.  Only one part of the Meditation garden has been developed, along the south end of the pond. Eventually we will extend the Meditation Garden to the north, along both sides of the pond. Watch for construction on the western portion this summer. The anticipated master plan includes a Japanese teahouse, an arched bridge over a narrow part of the pond, landscaping of the island, a zen garden, and a viewing platform at the edge of the pond.

The Monk Home 

If you look across the pond, the Monk family home is included with the Monk Botanical Gardens' property. The home was originally separate from the gardens, but we were able to purchase it in 2018 to complete the property. The home is rented, and the area is not open to the public. Please follow signs to make sure that you are not trespassing into a restricted area. Stay on the gravel paths.

The Pond

Mr. Monk created the pond that is fed mostly by rainfall and drainage ditches. We have incorporated spillways or dry riverbeds in the Meditation Garden in case the pond overflows during wet periods.  An in-ground irrigation system was installed throughout the gardens with the intention of using the pond water to irrigate the plants in the gardens, with a drilled well to use as a backup. As the property has aged, so has the pond. We are hoping to raise enough funds to clean and reline the pond within the next few years.