The Grand Garden encompasses three main spaces; the Centennial Plaza, the Celebration Garden, and the Joy of Plants Garden which forms a series of garden rooms, numerous water features and fountains, intuitive wayfinding elements, and an elegant terrace for weddings and special or corporate events.
Spanning 255 yards east to west, the length of about 2½ football fields, the new “Grand Garden,” true to its name. The advancement of the redesign to this historic axis, at the property’s core, is a celebration of the Arboretum’s hundred-year anniversary. The new design preserves the original symmetry based on classical European precedents and introduces an English picturesque asymmetrically balanced landscape garden.
The Centennial Plaza marks the entrance to the new garden. Looking east, a terrace flanked by waterfalls serves as a venue for weddings and special events. In the opposite direction, taller hedges divides the space into six, more intimate “garden rooms.” Augmentations include repeated use of water elements, exuberant horticultural displays, additional gathering areas, intuitive wayfinding elements, shaded seating, and improved circulation (including ADA ramps and paths).
