Alert:
Moon gates originated in ancient Asian gardens. Guests who passed through them were symbolically granted an auspicious welcome and good fortune. In garden design, they provide enticing passageways or window views from one space into another, piquing curiosity about what lies beyond.
At Green Spring Gardens, our moon gate feature will be situated in the former Concentric Garden, with a view to our lovely historic house. Trailblazing garden designer Beatrix Farrand created an iconic moon gate feature for Abbie Rockefeller’s garden in Maine. Inspired by her work there, we are creating this feature to honor her and complement her landscape features and boxwood design at Green Spring.
Green Spring’s Moon Gate and Serenity Garden project will provide sanctuary and inspiration for 150,000 annual visitors. The moon gate feature will be a stunning backdrop for photography and events and will serve as a symbolic connection between the past and the future at Green Spring Gardens.
The moon gate feature will be situated in the Moon Gate and Serenity Garden (formerly Concentric Garden). From the garden, the moon gate will offer a view of the historic house; from the driveway, it will open to the garden.
Where possible, all plants in the current space will be relocated elsewhere at Green Spring Gardens to allow for construction in the area.
The following plants are examples of the types of plants that will be considered for use in the new space:
Hover over the images below for plant names and click/tap to see an enlarged image.
To learn more about how you can contribute to Green Spring’s Moon Gate Garden project, please visit the Fairfax County Park Foundation web page. We invite you to follow its progress and check back periodically to see updates.
We thank our donors and the Park Foundation for their continued support in making this commemorative project a reality!
