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{{Short description|Botanical gardens and event venue in Vienna, Virginia, US}}
{{Infobox park
{{Infobox park
| name = Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
| name = Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Line 8: Line 9:
| type = [[Botanical garden]]
| type = [[Botanical garden]]
| location = 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court [[Vienna, Virginia|Vienna]], [[Virginia]]
| location = 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court [[Vienna, Virginia|Vienna]], [[Virginia]]
| coords = {{coord|38.93775|N|77.2809722|W|region:US-VA|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| lat_d = 38.9377500
| long_d = -77.2809722
| region = US-VA
| area =
| area =
| created =
| created =
| operator =
| operator = [[NOVA Parks]]
| visitation_num =
| visitation_num =
| status =
| status =
| open =
| open =
| website = {{URL|http://www.nvrpa.org/park/meadowlark_botanical_gardens}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.novaparks.com/parks/meadowlark-botanical-gardens}}
}}
}}
'''Meadowlark Botanical Gardens''' (100+ acres) are [[botanical garden]]s and an event venue located at 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, [[Vienna, Virginia]], 22182. They are open daily except for major holidays and ice; an admission fee is charged. Photography is allowed when a proper reservation has been made, additional fees paid and pass issued. Details regarding photography access are available in writing only at the above address, and can not be described over the telephone or Internet.
'''Meadowlark Botanical Gardens''' (95 acres) are [[botanical garden]]s and an event venue located at 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, in [[Vienna, Virginia]].


They are open daily except for major holidays and ice; an admission fee is charged. Garden admissions end when the Visitor Center closes. The Visitor Center is open from 10AM until 3:30PM from November through March and from April through October 10AM until 6:30PM.<ref>{{cite web |title=Meadowlark Botanical Gardens |url=https://www.novaparks.com/parks/meadowlark-botanical-gardens |website=novaparks.com |publisher=NOVA Parks |access-date=2022-02-27}}</ref> Meadowlark Botanical Gardens closes 30 minutes after the Visitor Center's posted closing. The property is protected and operated by the [[NOVA Parks]] agency of [[Northern Virginia]].
⚫
The property is operated by NOVA Parks. A significant structure, the Atrium, is used as a wedding and event venue. The gardens aspect of the property features three ponds, two [[gazebo]]s, an island bridge, more than twenty varieties of [[cherry]] trees, aquatic plants, an [[azalea]] collection, a [[fern]] and [[hosta]] collection, an [[herb]] garden, a [[lilac]] garden, and perennials. They also contain three native plant collections as part of the [[International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation]]:


==Features==
* Potomac Valley Collection - plants native to the [[Potomac River]] basin.
⚫
A significant structure, the Atrium, is used as a wedding and event venue. The gardens aspect of the property features three ponds, three [[gazebo]]s, an island bridge, more than twenty varieties of [[cherry]] trees, aquatic plants, an [[azalea]] collection, a [[fern]] and [[hosta]] collection, an [[herb]] garden, a [[lilac]] garden, and perennials. They also contain three native plant collections as part of the [[International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation]]:


* Virginia Native Tree Collection - native trees for use in a home setting, including ''[[Asimina triloba]]'', ''[[Carpinus caroliniana]]'', ''[[Chionanthus virginicus]]'', ''[[Magnolia virginiana]]'', ''[[Ostrya virginiana]]'', and ''[[Quercus lyrata]]''.
* Potomac Valley Collection – plants native to the [[Potomac River]] basin.
* Virginia Native Tree Collection – native trees for use in a home setting, including ''[[Asimina triloba]]'', ''[[Carpinus caroliniana]]'', ''[[Chionanthus virginicus]]'', ''[[Magnolia virginiana]]'', ''[[Ostrya virginiana]]'', and ''[[Quercus lyrata]]''.
⚫
* Virginia Native Wetland – A small wetland with local trees including ''[[Betula nigra]]'', ''[[Liquidambar styraciflua]]'', ''[[Nyssa sylvatica]]'', ''[[Platanus occidentalis]]'', ''[[Salix nigra]]'', ''[[Taxodium distichum]]''; aquatic plants such as ''[[Acorus calamus]]'', ''[[Nymphaea odorata]]'', ''[[Pontederia cordata]]'', ''[[Sagittaria latifolia]]''; and shoreline plants including ''[[Carex]]'' spp., ''[[Cyperus]]'' spp., ''[[Equisetum hyemale]]'', ''[[Iris versicolor]]'', ''[[Lobelia cardinalis]]'', ''[[Myrica pensylvanica]]'', ''[[Sarracenia purpurea]]'', and ''[[Typha latifolia]]''.


Over the winter holidays, the gardens put on a winter walk of christmas-themed lights that include refreshments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.novaparks.com/events/winter-walk-of-lights|title=Winter Walk of Lights|date=2015-12-22|website=Nova Parks|language=en|access-date=2020-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Winter Walk of Lights |url=https://www.novaparks.com/events/winter-walk-of-lights |website=novaparks.com |publisher=NOVA Parks |access-date=2022-02-27}}</ref>
⚫
* Virginia Native Wetland - A small wetland with local trees including ''[[Betula nigra]]'', ''[[Liquidambar styraciflua]]'', ''[[Nyssa sylvatica]]'', ''[[Platanus occidentalis]]'', ''[[Salix nigra]]'', ''[[Taxodium distichum]]''; aquatic plants such as ''[[Acorus calamus]]'', ''[[Nymphaea odorata]]'', ''[[Pontederia cordata]]'', ''[[Sagittaria latifolia]]''; and shoreline plants including ''[[Carex]]'' spp., ''[[Cyperus]]'' spp., ''[[Equisetum hyemale]]'', ''[[Iris versicolor]]'', ''[[Lobelia cardinalis]]'', ''[[Myrica pensylvanica]]'', ''[[Sarracenia purpurea]]'', and ''[[Typha latifolia]]''.


==Korean Bell Garden==
===Korean Bell Garden===
===Description===
⚫
Large Korean bells trace back to the [[Silla|Shilla Dynasty]] (57 BC - 935 AD).<ref name="City Paper"/><ref name="Atrium">{{cite web|url=http://www.atriumatmeadowlark.com/eventoptions/korean-bell-garden/korean-bell-garden-tour/|title=The Korean Bell Garden – A Brief History|work=atriumatmeadowlark.com|accessdate=May 6, 2014}}</ref> The one in the Korean Bell Garden is made of bronze, weighs three tons, and is 2.18 meters high. It is called the Bell of Peace and Harmony. Korea's national flower, the [[Hibiscus syriacus|rose of Sharon]] and Virginia's state flower, the [[Cornus florida|dogwood]] are both engraved on the bell, along with the words "Peace and Harmony" and the ten traditional symbols of longevity - [[sun]], [[mountain]], [[water]], [[cloud]], [[stone]], [[pine tree]], [[Siberian crane|white crane]], [[turtle]], [[mushroom of immortality]] and [[deer]].<ref name="Atrium"/> The bell is held in a wooden pavilion that was built by Korean craftsmen in their country's traditional style - instead of using nails, they carved the wood so that each piece would fit together;<ref name="Atrium"/><ref name="Fairfax Times">{{cite web|url=http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120720/ENTERTAINMENT/707209857/1063/a-place-of-marvel-and-discovery&template=PrinterFriendlyFFX|author=David Siegel|title=A place of marvel and discovery|work=Fairfax Times|date=July 20, 2012|accessdate=May 6, 2014}}</ref> the eaves of the pavilion curve upward; and the roof tiles are made of a type of clay called [[Ochre|ocher]].<ref name="City Paper"/><ref name="Fairfax Times"/><ref name="Atrium"/>


===History===
====Description====
⚫
Large Korean bells trace back to the [[Silla|Shilla Dynasty]] (57 BC – 935 AD).<ref name="City Paper"/><ref name="Atrium">{{cite web|url=http://www.atriumatmeadowlark.com/eventoptions/korean-bell-garden/korean-bell-garden-tour/|title=The Korean Bell Garden – A Brief History|work=atriumatmeadowlark.com|accessdate=May 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801093622/http://www.atriumatmeadowlark.com/eventoptions/korean-bell-garden/korean-bell-garden-tour/|archive-date=August 1, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The one in the Korean Bell Garden is made of bronze, weighs three tons, and is 2.18 meters high. It is called the Bell of Peace and Harmony. Korea's national flower, the [[Hibiscus syriacus|rose of Sharon]] and Virginia's state flower, the [[Cornus florida|dogwood]] are both engraved on the bell, along with the words "Peace and Harmony" and the ten traditional symbols of longevity – [[sun]], [[mountain]], [[water]], [[cloud]], [[stone]], [[pine tree]], [[Siberian crane|white crane]], [[turtle]], [[mushroom of immortality]] and [[deer]].<ref name="Atrium"/> The bell is held in a wooden pavilion that was built by Korean craftsmen in their country's traditional style – instead of using nails, they carved the wood so that each piece would fit together;<ref name="Atrium"/><ref name="Fairfax Times">{{cite web|url=http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120720/ENTERTAINMENT/707209857/1063/a-place-of-marvel-and-discovery&template=PrinterFriendlyFFX|author=David Siegel|title=A place of marvel and discovery|work=Fairfax Times|date=July 20, 2012|accessdate=May 6, 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140506213900/http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120720/ENTERTAINMENT/707209857/1063/a-place-of-marvel-and-discovery&template=PrinterFriendlyFFX|archivedate=May 6, 2014|df=}}</ref> the eaves of the pavilion curve upward; and the roof tiles are made of a type of clay called [[Ochre|ocher]].<ref name="City Paper"/><ref name="Atrium"/><ref name="Fairfax Times"/>
⚫
The Korean Bell Garden is the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere and the first Korean bell pavilion on the East Coast of the United States - the [[Korean Bell of Friendship]] and its pavilion were donated by South Korea to [[San Pedro, Los Angeles, California]] in 1976.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fxva.com/korean-bell/|title=Korean Bell Garden|work=fxva.com|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref name="City Paper">{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2012/05/21/new-korean-bell-garden-opens-near-wolf-trap/|author=Mike Paarlberg|title=New Korean Bell Garden Opens Near Wolf Trap|work=Washington City Paper|date=May 21, 2012|accessdate=January 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sanpedro.com/sp_point/korenbel.htm|title=Korean Bell of Friendship and Bell Pavilion|work=sandpedro.com|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref> The idea for the Korean Bell Garden was conceived of by Jeung-Hwa Elmejjad-Yi, who moved to the United States from Korea when she was a teenager. She founded the Korean American Cultural Committee in 2005 - two years after the centennial of the beginning of Korean immigration to the United States - as a means through which to realize her idea.<ref name="City Paper"/><ref name="Washington Post">{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/09/AR2007060901238.html|author=Maria Glod|title=Pavilion to Help Ring In Diversity|work=[[Washington Post]]|date=June 10, 2007|accessdate=May 3, 2014}}</ref> In 2006, her organization reached an agreement with the [[Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority]] to have the garden built in Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.<ref name="City Paper"/> The project cost around $1 million: $600,000 for the bell and the pavilion; $100,000 for the surrounding garden; and $300,000 for long-term maintenance. Eighty percent of the costs were raised through donations from the Korean-American community in the Washington area, and the remaining twenty-percent was donated by the South Korean government.<ref name="City Paper"/><ref name="Washington Post"/>


====History====
The groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 27, 2010 - two days after the sixtieth anniversary of the [[Korean War]].<ref name="About KACC">{{cite web|url=http://kacc.us/about.html|title=All About the Korean Bell Garden|work=Korean American Cultural Committee|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Fairfax Daily Monitor">{{cite web|url=http://www.fairfax.daily-monitor.com/korean-bell-garden-groundbreaking-ceremony-june-27%C2%A0-fairfax-county-virginia-2/949/|title=Korean Bell Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony|work=Fairfax Daily Monitor|date=June 23, 2010|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/2010/korean-bell-garden-groundbreaking-ceremony.htm|title=Korean Bell Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony June 27|work=fairfaxcounty.gov|date=June 22, 2010|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref> South Korean diplomats Jim Soon Nam and Yongchun Cho were present, as well as several U.S. politicians connected with the area. Some of the speakers included Cho, Virginia Congressman [[Jim Moran]], [[Virginia State Senator]] [[Chap Petersen]], and the Chairwoman of the [[Fairfax County Board of Supervisors]], [[Sharon Bulova]].<ref name="Fairfax Daily Monitor"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.oxroadsouth.com/2010/06/29/the-korean-bell-jim-moran-and-the-legend-of-kim-yusin.aspx?results=1#SurveyResultsChart|author=[[Chap Petersen]]|title=The Korean Bell, Jim Moran and the Legend of Kim Yu-Sin|work=oxroadsouth.com|date=June 29, 2010|accessdate=May 4, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140505015452/http://archive.oxroadsouth.com/2010/06/29/the-korean-bell-jim-moran-and-the-legend-of-kim-yusin.aspx?results=1|archivedate=May 5, 2014}}</ref> American and South Korean veterans were in attendance and assisted with a photo exhibition of the Korean War.<ref name="Fairfax Daily Monitor"/><ref name="History of KACC">{{cite web|url=http://kacc.us/history.html|title=History of the Korean American Cultural Committee|work=Korean American Cultural Committee|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref>
⚫
The Korean Bell Garden is the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere and the first Korean bell pavilion on the East Coast of the United States – the [[Korean Bell of Friendship]] and its pavilion were donated by South Korea to [[San Pedro, Los Angeles, California]] in 1976.<ref name="City Paper">{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2012/05/21/new-korean-bell-garden-opens-near-wolf-trap/|author=Mike Paarlberg|title=New Korean Bell Garden Opens Near Wolf Trap|work=Washington City Paper|date=May 21, 2012|accessdate=January 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fxva.com/korean-bell/|title=Korean Bell Garden|work=fxva.com|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sanpedro.com/sp_point/korenbel.htm|title=Korean Bell of Friendship and Bell Pavilion|work=sandpedro.com|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref> The idea for the Korean Bell Garden was conceived of by Jeung-Hwa Elmejjad-Yi, who moved to the United States from Korea when she was a teenager. She founded the Korean American Cultural Committee in 2005 – two years after the centennial of the beginning of Korean immigration to the United States – as a means through which to realize her idea.<ref name="City Paper"/><ref name="Washington Post">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/09/AR2007060901238.html|author=Maria Glod|title=Pavilion to Help Ring In Diversity|work=[[Washington Post]]|date=June 10, 2007|accessdate=May 3, 2014}}</ref> In 2006, her organization reached an agreement with the [[Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority]] to have the garden built in Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.<ref name="City Paper"/> The project cost around $1 million: $600,000 for the bell and the pavilion; $100,000 for the surrounding garden; and $300,000 for long-term maintenance. Eighty percent of the costs were raised through donations from the Korean-American community in the Washington area, and the remaining twenty-percent was donated by the South Korean government.<ref name="City Paper"/><ref name="Washington Post"/>


Construction of the pavilion was completed in the fall of 2010,<ref name="About KACC"/><ref name="History of KACC"/><ref name="KACC Mission & Goals">{{cite web|url=http://kacc.us/mission.html|title=Mission & Goals|work=Korean American Cultural Committee|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://regionalparks.blogspot.com/2010/09/final-beam-goes-into-korean-pavilion.html|author=Paul Gilbert|title=Final beam goes into Korean Pavilion|work=RegionalParks.blogspot.com|date=September 7, 2010|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://regionalparks.blogspot.com/2010/10/i-have-written-lot-about-korean-bell.html|author=Paul Gilbert|title=Korean Pavilion Complete|work=RegionalParks.blogspot.com|date=October 20, 2010|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref> and the bell arrived from Korea in May 2011. A dedication ceremony for the bell was held on the fourteenth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://regionalparks.blogspot.com/2011/05/bell-is-here-this-week-three-ton-bell.html|author=Paul Gilbert|title=Korean Bell Has Arrived!|work=RegionalParks.blogspot.com|date=May 6, 2011|accessdate=May 6, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://vienna.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/video-meadowlark-botanical-gardens-welcomes-korean-bell|author=Garrett Johnson|title=Video: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Welcomes Korean Bell|work=Vienna Patch|date=May 16, 2011|accessdate=May 6, 2014}}</ref> The official opening ceremony for the garden was held about a year later on May 19, 2012.<ref name="KACC Mission & Goals">{{cite web|url=http://kacc.us/mission.html|title=Mission & Goals|work=Korean American Cultural Committee|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref> It was opened and closed by the Washington Korean Symphony Orchestra, which played the American and Korean National Anthems, the Korean folk song "[[Arirang]]", and a selection from American composer [[Leonard Bernstein]]'s [[operetta]] ''[[Candide (operetta)|Candide]]''. Petersen and Belova both returned as speakers. Korea's Ambassador at the time, [[Choi Young-jin]] was present at the ceremony.<ref name="City Paper"/>
The groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 27, 2010 – two days after the sixtieth anniversary of the [[Korean War]].<ref name="About KACC">{{cite web|url=http://kacc.us/about.html|title=All About the Korean Bell Garden|work=Korean American Cultural Committee|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Fairfax Daily Monitor">{{cite web|url=http://www.fairfax.daily-monitor.com/korean-bell-garden-groundbreaking-ceremony-june-27%C2%A0-fairfax-county-virginia-2/949/|title=Korean Bell Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony|work=Fairfax Daily Monitor|date=June 23, 2010|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/2010/korean-bell-garden-groundbreaking-ceremony.htm|title=Korean Bell Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony June 27|work=fairfaxcounty.gov|date=June 22, 2010|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref> South Korean diplomats Jim Soon Nam and Yongchun Cho were present, as well as several U.S. politicians connected with the area. Some of the speakers included Cho, Virginia Congressman [[Jim Moran]], [[Virginia State Senator]] [[Chap Petersen]], and the Chairwoman of the [[Fairfax County Board of Supervisors]], [[Sharon Bulova]].<ref name="Fairfax Daily Monitor"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.oxroadsouth.com/2010/06/29/the-korean-bell-jim-moran-and-the-legend-of-kim-yusin.aspx?results=1#SurveyResultsChart|author=Chap Petersen|author-link=Chap Petersen|title=The Korean Bell, Jim Moran and the Legend of Kim Yu-Sin|work=oxroadsouth.com|date=June 29, 2010|accessdate=May 4, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140505015452/http://archive.oxroadsouth.com/2010/06/29/the-korean-bell-jim-moran-and-the-legend-of-kim-yusin.aspx?results=1|archivedate=May 5, 2014}}</ref> American and South Korean veterans were in attendance and assisted with a photo exhibition of the Korean War.<ref name="Fairfax Daily Monitor"/><ref name="History of KACC">{{cite web|url=http://kacc.us/history.html|title=History of the Korean American Cultural Committee|work=Korean American Cultural Committee|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref>

Construction of the pavilion was completed in the fall of 2010,<ref name="About KACC"/><ref name="History of KACC"/><ref name="KACC Mission & Goals">{{cite web|url=http://kacc.us/mission.html|title=Mission & Goals|work=Korean American Cultural Committee|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://regionalparks.blogspot.com/2010/09/final-beam-goes-into-korean-pavilion.html|author=Paul Gilbert|title=Final beam goes into Korean Pavilion|work=RegionalParks.blogspot.com|date=September 7, 2010|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://regionalparks.blogspot.com/2010/10/i-have-written-lot-about-korean-bell.html|author=Paul Gilbert|title=Korean Pavilion Complete|work=RegionalParks.blogspot.com|date=October 20, 2010|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref> and the bell arrived from Korea in May 2011. A dedication ceremony for the bell was held on the fourteenth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://regionalparks.blogspot.com/2011/05/bell-is-here-this-week-three-ton-bell.html|author=Paul Gilbert|title=Korean Bell Has Arrived!|work=RegionalParks.blogspot.com|date=May 6, 2011|accessdate=May 6, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://vienna.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/video-meadowlark-botanical-gardens-welcomes-korean-bell|author=Garrett Johnson|title=Video: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Welcomes Korean Bell|work=Vienna Patch|date=May 16, 2011|accessdate=May 6, 2014}}</ref> The official opening ceremony for the garden was held about a year later on May 19, 2012.<ref name="KACC Mission & Goals"/> The ceremony was opened and closed by the Washington Korean Symphony Orchestra, which played the American and Korean National Anthems, the Korean folk song "[[Arirang]]", and a selection from American composer [[Leonard Bernstein]]'s [[operetta]] ''[[Candide (operetta)|Candide]]''. Petersen and Belova both returned as speakers. Korea's Ambassador at the time, [[Choi Young-jin]] was present at the ceremony.<ref name="City Paper"/>


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery widths=200px>
<gallery widths="200px">
File:CherryBlossomsGazeboLakeCaroline.JPG|Lakeside Gazebo on Lake Caroline at cherry blossom time
File:CherryBlossomsGazeboLakeCaroline.JPG|Lakeside Gazebo on Lake Caroline at cherry blossom time
File:Meadowlark Gardens Korean Bell Pavilion.jpg|Korean Bell Pavilion at Meadowlark Gardens
File:Meadowlark Gardens Korean Bell Pavilion.jpg|Korean Bell Pavilion at Meadowlark Gardens
Line 52: Line 55:


== See also ==
== See also ==
* {{C|Botanical gardens in Virginia}}
* [[List of botanical gardens in the United States]]
* [[List of botanical gardens in the United States]]
* {{C|NOVA Parks|NOVA Parks system}}


==References==
==References==
Line 58: Line 63:


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.nvrpa.org/parks/meadowlark/index.php Meadowlark Botanical Gardens]
* [http://www.pbase.com/bobt54/meadowlark Picture Galleries]
* [https://www.novaparks.com/parks/meadowlark-botanical-gardens Meadowlark Botanical Gardens]
* [http://www.flickr.com/gp/42955034@N00/D2r664 Picture Gallery]


[[Category:Botanical gardens in Virginia]]
[[Category:Botanical gardens in Virginia]]
[[Category:Parks in Fairfax County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Parks in Fairfax County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Vienna, Virginia]]
[[Category:Vienna, Virginia]]
[[Category:Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority]]
[[Category:NOVA Parks]]

Latest revision as of 05:10, 31 August 2023

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Visitors Center at Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, Virginia
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is located in Virginia
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Location within Virginia
TypeBotanical garden
Location9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court Vienna, Virginia
Coordinates38°56′16″N 77°16′51″W / 38.93775°N 77.2809722°W / 38.93775; -77.2809722
Operated byNOVA Parks
Websitewww.novaparks.com/parks/meadowlark-botanical-gardens

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (95 acres) are botanical gardens and an event venue located at 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, in Vienna, Virginia.

They are open daily except for major holidays and ice; an admission fee is charged. Garden admissions end when the Visitor Center closes. The Visitor Center is open from 10AM until 3:30PM from November through March and from April through October 10AM until 6:30PM.[1] Meadowlark Botanical Gardens closes 30 minutes after the Visitor Center's posted closing. The property is protected and operated by the NOVA Parks agency of Northern Virginia.

Features

[edit]

A significant structure, the Atrium, is used as a wedding and event venue. The gardens aspect of the property features three ponds, three gazebos, an island bridge, more than twenty varieties of cherry trees, aquatic plants, an azalea collection, a fern and hosta collection, an herb garden, a lilac garden, and perennials. They also contain three native plant collections as part of the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation:

Over the winter holidays, the gardens put on a winter walk of christmas-themed lights that include refreshments.[2][3]

Korean Bell Garden

[edit]

Description

[edit]

Large Korean bells trace back to the Shilla Dynasty (57 BC – 935 AD).[4][5] The one in the Korean Bell Garden is made of bronze, weighs three tons, and is 2.18 meters high. It is called the Bell of Peace and Harmony. Korea's national flower, the rose of Sharon and Virginia's state flower, the dogwood are both engraved on the bell, along with the words "Peace and Harmony" and the ten traditional symbols of longevity – sun, mountain, water, cloud, stone, pine tree, white crane, turtle, mushroom of immortality and deer.[5] The bell is held in a wooden pavilion that was built by Korean craftsmen in their country's traditional style – instead of using nails, they carved the wood so that each piece would fit together;[5][6] the eaves of the pavilion curve upward; and the roof tiles are made of a type of clay called ocher.[4][5][6]

History

[edit]

The Korean Bell Garden is the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere and the first Korean bell pavilion on the East Coast of the United States – the Korean Bell of Friendship and its pavilion were donated by South Korea to San Pedro, Los Angeles, California in 1976.[4][7][8] The idea for the Korean Bell Garden was conceived of by Jeung-Hwa Elmejjad-Yi, who moved to the United States from Korea when she was a teenager. She founded the Korean American Cultural Committee in 2005 – two years after the centennial of the beginning of Korean immigration to the United States – as a means through which to realize her idea.[4][9] In 2006, her organization reached an agreement with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority to have the garden built in Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.[4] The project cost around $1 million: $600,000 for the bell and the pavilion; $100,000 for the surrounding garden; and $300,000 for long-term maintenance. Eighty percent of the costs were raised through donations from the Korean-American community in the Washington area, and the remaining twenty-percent was donated by the South Korean government.[4][9]

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 27, 2010 – two days after the sixtieth anniversary of the Korean War.[10][11][12] South Korean diplomats Jim Soon Nam and Yongchun Cho were present, as well as several U.S. politicians connected with the area. Some of the speakers included Cho, Virginia Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia State Senator Chap Petersen, and the Chairwoman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Sharon Bulova.[11][13] American and South Korean veterans were in attendance and assisted with a photo exhibition of the Korean War.[11][14]

Construction of the pavilion was completed in the fall of 2010,[10][14][15][16][17] and the bell arrived from Korea in May 2011. A dedication ceremony for the bell was held on the fourteenth.[18][19] The official opening ceremony for the garden was held about a year later on May 19, 2012.[15] The ceremony was opened and closed by the Washington Korean Symphony Orchestra, which played the American and Korean National Anthems, the Korean folk song "Arirang", and a selection from American composer Leonard Bernstein's operetta Candide. Petersen and Belova both returned as speakers. Korea's Ambassador at the time, Choi Young-jin was present at the ceremony.[4]

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  • Lakeside Gazebo on Lake Caroline at cherry blossom time
    Lakeside Gazebo on Lake Caroline at cherry blossom time
  • Korean Bell Pavilion at Meadowlark Gardens
    Korean Bell Pavilion at Meadowlark Gardens
  • Experimental Meadow at Meadowlark Gardens
    Experimental Meadow at Meadowlark Gardens
  • Garden sculpture at Meadowlark Gardens
    Garden sculpture at Meadowlark Gardens
  • Lake Lena and the wetlands garden
    Lake Lena and the wetlands garden
  • Lake Gardiner viewed from the spiral mound
    Lake Gardiner viewed from the spiral mound
  • Mossy-backed turtle and koi in Lake Caroline
    Mossy-backed turtle and koi in Lake Caroline

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Meadowlark Botanical Gardens". novaparks.com. NOVA Parks. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  2. ^ "Winter Walk of Lights". Nova Parks. 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  3. ^ "Winter Walk of Lights". novaparks.com. NOVA Parks. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Mike Paarlberg (May 21, 2012). "New Korean Bell Garden Opens Near Wolf Trap". Washington City Paper. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d "The Korean Bell Garden – A Brief History". atriumatmeadowlark.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  6. ^ a b David Siegel (July 20, 2012). "A place of marvel and discovery". Fairfax Times. Archived from the original on May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  7. ^ "Korean Bell Garden". fxva.com. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  8. ^ "Korean Bell of Friendship and Bell Pavilion". sandpedro.com. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  9. ^ a b Maria Glod (June 10, 2007). "Pavilion to Help Ring In Diversity". Washington Post. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  10. ^ a b "All About the Korean Bell Garden". Korean American Cultural Committee. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  11. ^ a b c "Korean Bell Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony". Fairfax Daily Monitor. June 23, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  12. ^ "Korean Bell Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony June 27". fairfaxcounty.gov. June 22, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  13. ^ Chap Petersen (June 29, 2010). "The Korean Bell, Jim Moran and the Legend of Kim Yu-Sin". oxroadsouth.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  14. ^ a b "History of the Korean American Cultural Committee". Korean American Cultural Committee. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  15. ^ a b "Mission & Goals". Korean American Cultural Committee. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  16. ^ Paul Gilbert (September 7, 2010). "Final beam goes into Korean Pavilion". RegionalParks.blogspot.com. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  17. ^ Paul Gilbert (October 20, 2010). "Korean Pavilion Complete". RegionalParks.blogspot.com. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  18. ^ Paul Gilbert (May 6, 2011). "Korean Bell Has Arrived!". RegionalParks.blogspot.com. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  19. ^ Garrett Johnson (May 16, 2011). "Video: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Welcomes Korean Bell". Vienna Patch. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
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