Help Care for Maymont’s Gardens

One of Richmond’s most serene outdoor spaces is the Japanese Garden at Maymont. Created in 1912 by Muto, a garden master from Japan who designed a few other notable Japanese gardens that survive today, it was expanded in 1978 by Earth Design Inc. and enhanced over the years with support from Ikebana of Richmond.

Today, the Japanese Garden is among the most popular destinations at Maymont, perfect for contemplative strolls, memorable first dates and amazing photography. The Japanese Garden is also the heart and soul of Maymont’s spectacular Garden Glow presented by Kroger event, which was inspired by a horticulturist’s trip to Japan, where subtle lighting effects are deployed to highlight the classical features of traditional garden design.

Maintaining the historic landscape, however, requires the constant vigilance and labor of skilled horticulturists, groundskeepers and volunteers, hard at work all year round raking, pruning, mulching and feeding the trees, flowering shrubs and perennials. Not to mention the supplies and equipment required for maintaining a healthy aquatic ecosystem in the pond, stream and waterfall.

When you support Maymont, you help preserve and maintain all of the many beloved features across all 100 acres. Give today!

The Impact of Your Donation

  • $15 covers a pair of hand pruners
  • $20 covers enough mulch to cover an area the size of a car
  • $25 covers a leaf rake for our annual One Great Morning of Raking.
  • $30 covers a pruning saw for bamboo management (we go through about 10 per year!)
  • $300 rents a woodchipper for one day for bamboo forest maintenance
  • $600 helps maintain the pond outflow stream
  • $2,000 covers a year of tree trimming in the Japanese Garden alone
A family in the Japanese Garden, c. 1930
A family in the Japanese Garden, c. 1930
c Emmanuel Pezoa
The Japanese Garden today