My dear friend and I recently visited a lovely public garden in Thousand Oaks, California named Gardens of the World. What a treat it was. The garden is free and open to the public. It was created by Ed and Lynn Hogan, founders of Pleasant Holidays, as a way of giving back to the community. The garden features several separate gardens commemorating some of the cultures they have experienced in their travels around the world. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera, so these iphone photos aren't the best quality.
There is an old-fashioned bandstand which is surrounded by lawn, and in August there is live jazz every Sunday evening. Apparently they also host art exhibits, but they do not allow weddings or private parties. This leaves the gardens open to the public, and the general feel is calm and non-commercialized.
The most serene little Japanese garden features a koi pond and Japanese pagoda.
Perhaps my favorite area is the English perennial and rose garden. Shaded benches provide the perfect spot to rest and relish the lush flowers.
The French garden features a large cascading water feature which I neglected to photograph. Here you can see the trimmed hedges.
In the Italian garden we rested in the shade under the grape arbor and enjoyed the sound of the water feature which is lined by stately cypress trees.
The pathways are paved making walking easy, and also wheelchair friendly. The garden is relatively small, we spent a little over an hour there and enjoyed every minute!
Gardens of the World is located at 2001 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks CA 91362.
No doubt they have gardens of the world in one place. Your IPhone has really done a good job and I enjoyed reading and watching the pictures. Thanks.
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