Gardens of the World facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gardens of the World |
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French Waterfall by entrance.
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| Type | Botanical garden |
| Location | Thousand Oaks, California, United States |
| Area | 4.5 acres (18,000 m2) |
| Operated by | Hogan Family Foundation |
| Status | Open |
| Website | www.gardensoftheworld.info |
Gardens of the World is a beautiful botanical garden located in Thousand Oaks, California. It's right in the middle of the city, across the street from the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. This special park opened in 2001. It was a gift to the city from the Hogan Family Foundation, who owned a local travel agency.
The garden is a fun place for walking and having picnics. You can even take guided tours to learn more about the plants. It covers about 4.5 acres (1.8 hectares) of land.
The park has many different themed gardens. You can explore a French garden with a waterfall, an English rose garden, and an Italian garden with grapevines. There's also a peaceful Japanese garden with koi fish ponds and a pagoda. The California Mission Courtyard shows off native plants and cool murals of the 21 California Missions. You'll also find a statue of Father Junipero Serra there.
Exploring the Gardens
The different gardens are connected by a concrete path that loops around the park. When you enter through the iron gate, you'll first see the French Garden. It has a big waterfall and a special flower bed called a parterre.
If you go to the right through some arches, you'll find the English Perennial & Rose Gardens. This area has a pergola (a shaded walkway) and is home to 400 different rose bushes! Near the Bandstand lawn is the Italian Garden. It has a lovely grape arbor and a unique Italian chain fountain.
Tucked away in a corner is the peaceful Japanese Garden. Here, you'll see a koi pond with colorful fish, a decorative rock waterfall, and a traditional pagoda. There's also a stream with a wooden bridge. In the California Mission Courtyard, you can see murals of the California Missions and a Spanish fountain.
Garden Exhibits
Gardens of the World has five main themed gardens for you to explore:
- French Garden: This garden is right by the park's entrance. It has a huge waterfall that cascades down. You'll see two types of parterres here. These are fancy flower beds shaped like a butterfly and the sun. The French Fountain is a copy of a famous one from Versailles, France. Pretty flowers and low hedges are arranged in cool designs around the waterfall.
- English Perennial and Rose Garden: This garden is filled with 400 rose bushes of many colors and types. You'll find both bush roses and climbing roses here. It also has a pergola with lots of arches, which is a nice spot to sit and relax.
- Italian Garden: This garden features a lush grape arbor, where grapes grow overhead. It also has an Italian chain fountain, designed with old Italian style. You'll see tall Cypress trees, which are common in famous Italian gardens. A statue of Venus De Milo sits on top of the fountain. You can even see Cabernet and Chardonnay grapes growing here.
- Japanese Garden: This peaceful garden has a real Japanese Pagoda. It's surrounded by a Koi pond, bridges with Japanese designs, and bamboo plants. There's also a decorative waterfall called Dragon's Gate Waterfall and a stream. The waterfall is named after a legend that says if a Koi fish can swim to the top of the falls, it will turn into a dragon! Rock formations in the pond look like a crane and a turtle, which are symbols of long life.
- Mission Courtyard: This area celebrates California's historic mission trail. Near the entrance, there's a statue of Junípero Serra. He was a priest who started many of the California Missions. The courtyard walls are lined with colorful, hand-painted murals of the 21 missions. These were painted by local artists Bridget Duffy and Mark Fenton. You can also spot animal prints in the handmade tiles, which are traditional symbols of good luck. The Spanish Fountain in the middle of the courtyard has three levels. This design allowed chickens, horses, and people to all drink from the same fountain. Olive and citrus trees surround the courtyard.
In the center of the gardens, there's a copy of an American/Victorian Bandstand. This bandstand is like a small amphitheater where musical performances and other events take place.
Gallery
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Spanish Fountain in the Mission Courtyard.
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Statue of Junípero Serra.
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Mission mural.
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Replica of the American Bandstand.
