Gardens of the World is a

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

Thousand Oaks, California Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, United States. It is in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles, approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown. It is named after the many oak tr ...

, situated directly across Thousand Oaks Boulevard from Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, within the downtown core of the city. Established in 2001, the park was given to the city by the owners of a local travel agency. It is home to a French garden and waterfall, an English rose garden, an Italian grapevine garden and a Japanese garden with koi ponds and a

pagoda A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...

. The park is used for walking and picnicking, and guided tours of the gardens are available. The Californian Mission Courtyard includes native California flora and murals of the remaining 21

California Missions The Spanish missions in California ( es, Misiones españolas en California) comprise a series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 in what is now the U.S. state of California. Founded by Catholic priests of ...

. There is also a statue of Father Junipero Serra in this part of the park. The botanical garden is .

Overview

The gardens in the park are connected by a concrete trail which loops the gardens. The iron entry gate from across the Civic Arts Plaza leads onto a

parterre A ''parterre'' is a part of a formal garden constructed on a level substrate, consisting of symmetrical patterns, made up by plant beds, low hedges or coloured gravels, which are separated and connected by paths. Typically it was the part of ...

in the French Garden in front of a massive waterfall. To the right through the arches lies the English Perennial and Rose Gardens and its pergola. This garden features 400 rose bushes. The Italian Garden near the

Bandstand A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an orname ...

lawn contains a grape arbor and an Italian chain fountain. Tucked in the corner is the Japanese Garden featuring a

koi pond Koi ponds are ponds used for holding koi carp, usually as part of a garden. Koi ponds can be designed specifically to promote health and growth of the Nishikigoi or Japanese Ornamental Carp. Koi ponds or lakes are a traditional feature of Jap ...

, decorative rock waterfall, a

and stream with a wooden bridge. The California Mission Courtyard memorates the California Missions with murals of the 21 remaining missions, along with a Spanish fountain. The gardens were designed by landscape artist, Wendy Harper from Moorpark.

Exhibits

It contains five gardens:Baker, Pam (2002). ''Thousand Oaks Westlake Village: A Contemporary Portrait''. Community Communications, Inc. Pages 53-54. . * French Garden with its large cascading waterfall lies by the park’s iron entry gates, immediately across Thousand Oaks Boulevard from the Civic Arts Plaza. There are two types of parterres found in this garden: one shaped in the form of a butterfly ("papillon") and another in shape of the Sun. The French Fountain is an authentic replica of one found at

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

, France. Flowers and low boxwood hedges arranged in intricate design surround the foot of the waterfall. * English Perennial and Rose Garden contains 400 rose bushes with a variety of colors and species. The garden is home to two types of roses: Bush- and Climber roses. It has a pergola with numerous arches and places for seating. * Italian Garden features a lush grape arbor and an Italian chain fountain designed with historic Italian architecture. This garden also exhibits a number of distinctive

Cypress tree Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the la ...

s often found at Italy’s famed gardens. A ''

Venus de Milo The ''Venus de Milo'' (; el, Αφροδίτη της Μήλου, Afrodíti tis Mílou) is an ancient Greek sculpture that was created during the Hellenistic period, sometime between 150 and 125 BC. It is one of the most famous works of ancient ...

'' statue is located on top of the fountain. Cabernet- and chardonnay grapes are represented. * Japanese Garden is home to an authentic Japanese

Pagoda A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...

surrounded by a

Koi or more specifically , are colored varieties of the Amur carp ('' Cyprinus rubrofuscus'') that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens. Koi is an informal name for the colored variants of ''C. rubrofuscus'' ke ...

pond, Japanese-design bridges and

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

shoots. A decorative waterfall, Dragon’s Gate Waterfall, and a stream are also found here. The waterfall is named for the fable that if a Koi can swim to the top of the falls, it will turn into a dragon. Rock formations in the pond represent a crane and a turtle, symbols of longevity. * Mission Courtyard exhibits California’s mission trail. A statue of

Junípero Serra Junípero Serra y Ferrer (; ; ca, Juníper Serra i Ferrer; November 24, 1713August 28, 1784) was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Order. He is credited with establishing the Franciscan Missions in the Sierr ...

, the priest who founded many of the

, is near the entrance to courtyard. Colorful, hand-painted murals of 21 missions painted by local artists Bridget Duffy and Mark Fenton line the courtyard. Animal prints can be seen in the hand-made tiles and are traditional symbols of good luck. The Spanish Fountain in the center of the courtyard is traditionally designed in three levels, so that chickens, horses, and people all could drink from the same fountain. The courtyard is surrounded by olive and citrus trees. In the center of the gardens is a replica of the American/ Victorian

. The bandstand functions as an amphitheater and is where musical performances take place.

Gallery

Mission_courtyard_gardens_of_the_world.jpg, Spanish Fountain in the Mission Courtyard. Serra_statue_gardens_of_the_world.jpg, Statue of

. Mural_Gardens_of_the_World.jpg, Mission mural. American_Bandstand_Gardens_of_the_World.jpg, Replica of the American

Sources

External links

Official website

Hogan Family Foundation
{{Thousand Oaks, California Botanical gardens in California Conejo Valley Parks in Ventura County, California Geography of Thousand Oaks, California Junípero Serra