I introduced you to Maymont Park in Richmond, Virginia a couple of weeks ago. My first post on the subject was kind of a general overview. Then, I did a post about the Maymont Bears. Because Maymont is so large and due to the fact that I have so many photos, I thought It might be better to share some of those shots in short blogs offering multiple postings spread out a bit to keep things interesting. This is part 1 (as the title suggests) of one portion of the park… The Japanese Gardens. Mrs. Dooley was a horticulturist and worked with well known architects of the time to achieve her goals. Many of the trees in the park today have been standing for over 100 years. Many were planted under the direction of Mrs. Dooley herself. Of course, now, those trees are huge and no doubt could tell some wonderful stories of the park, if they could talk.

Entry gate leading into the Japanese Gardens.

It only seems appropriate to enter the garden via the formal gate.

A typical path in the garden

Take a little path (not really this one,but it is close) and look to your left. There you will see the waterfalls. High on the hill above is a flat layer of rocks from which a natural spring pours water over the edge of the cliff, thus forming the falls. It is a favorite resting spot for us when we visit. It is also a great backdrop for family portraits.

The water fall in the Japanese Garden

And of course a Japanese Garden is not complete without an arched bridge to add character. So wallah, one arched bridge coming right up. If you look up, you can see the stone wall surrounding the Italian Garden high on the hill above. That will be the subject of another post on another day.

The arched bridge. One way to cross the water.

If you would rather cross the water, using the stepping stones then by all means, come along with me, or rather Jacob.

Crossing the water via stepping stones.

These few photos should give you a good feel for the Japanese Gardens. They are merely the appetizer. They is more to come.Check out part 2 by clicking here.