Gardens

Visit A Garden

The Arboretum has a garden for everyone! Listed below are a few of the beautiful gardens you can visit at Virginia Western. In addition to these, there are a number of smaller gardens and plant collections including an Annual Garden, Wildflower Collection, and Groundcover Collection.

• Conifer Garden
  
  Over one hundred different cone-bearing trees and shrubs can be found growing in the Conifer Garden. From Dwarf Chamaecyparis to Giant Dawn Redwood, these plants exhibit an incredible variety of size, color, and form. The conifers are grouped by genus, thus forming mini-collections of Taxus, Picea, Cryptomeria, and many more.


• Perennial Rainbow Garden
  
  The Perennial Garden borders the west side of the Arboretum and displays 91 hardy herbaceous perennials in a rainbow color theme. When you enter the garden you will see the yellows of Yarrow, Daylily, and Bearded Iris. As you stroll through the garden, you will find dozens of orange flowered plants followed by reds, purples, and blues.


• Rock Garden
  
  Located adjacent to the amphitheater's gazebo, the Rock Garden is home to 75 different shrubs and herbaceous perennials. The plantings are completed with rock outcroppings and bordered by intersecting arcs of motarless stone walls. A pleasing combination of Dwarf Conifers, Butterfly Bushes, Asters, Sedums, and many other plants are on display.


• Shade Garden
  
  Beyond the entrance arbor you will discover the Shade Garden filled with 190 different low-light preferring herbaceous perennials, spectacular flowering shrubs and complementary small trees. A few of the plants that can be found in this garden include Hostas, Ferns, Wildflowers, Hydrangeas, Viburnums, Stewartia, Magnolias, and Serviceberry.


• Children's Garden
  
  Conveniently located next to the amphitheater, the Children's Garden has become a popular community attraction. Young visitors have two areas to enjoy, a plant zoo and a maze. The zoo is home to 70 different plants with animal names such as Ostrich Fern, Elephant Ear, Zebra Grass, and Lamb's Ear. Two water features act as magnets, attracting the children to the splashing water, goldfish, and of course, Horsetail and Parrot's Feather. The maze is a challenging, large scale puzzle composed of 200 yews covering 1,000 square feet. The children love it!


• Herb Garden
  
  This lush herb garden is planted and maintained by the local Herb Society.


• Sensory Garden
  
  Come experience a delight to your senses in the Sensory Garden.