The Moon Gate
by Debbie Waugh, Green Spring Historian & Linda Nordstrom, FROGS Board Member
The Moongate at Green Spring.
Photo credit: Mindy NashThe Moon Gate feature is here! Green Spring Gardens has added a new, welcoming, and engaging feature to the gardens. Funded by gifts to the Fairfax County Park Foundation, the Moon Gate Garden project is becoming a reality.
The Moon Gate structure is beside the former Concentric Garden. This project was created in 2020 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Green Spring Gardens. It symbolizes present day Green Spring’s connection to its past. The pandemic caused delays to construction, but thanks to significant support from Arlene Evans and Barry Dewberry for the Moon Gate and hardscape, we finally broke ground in spring of 2024 and inserted the capstone on July 1, 2024. The Moon Gate will be a remarkable backdrop for photography and events in the future.
Originating in Ancient China, moon gates are rich in symbolism, representing harmony and tranquility and conferring good luck to those who pass through them. Traditionally, they have also served important functions in garden design. They provide a sense of enclosure, inviting glimpses of what lies beyond, and easy passage from one garden space to another.
Green Spring’s Moon Gate is perfectly attuned to its site and bears all the hallmarks of its ancient predecessors. It is positioned to frame two different views from either side, one looking toward the Historic House, the other toward the Horticulture Center, providing that symbolic connection between Green Spring past and present.
The new Moon Gate will also provide entry into an Asian-inspired “Moon Gate and Serenity Garden” that will be developed over the next few years. We look forward to the design and plants that will follow. Come visit us!
