Plan your visit
Plan your visit

The gardens

Inside the gardens

Themed demonstration gardens, planted with things you can eat, around a working mill and a lake.

The rose parterre and its iron gazebo, clipped hedging and topiary around the beds

Planted to be eaten

Everything planted here is edible: fruits, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers, each chosen for how it looks as much as for what it gives. Tasting is allowed when a gardener is with you.

A handful of dark red roselle calyces held in front of the flowering plant

Around the mill

The copper flume running to the waterwheel beside the millhouse

The waterwheel

The second-story millworks are powered entirely by the waterwheel and include a restored 1886 stone gristmill as well as an industrial-era pecan cracker and shelling machine.

A wrought iron gazebo dome at the centre of a clipped topiary and rose garden

Themed gardens

Walk through the themed demonstration gardens, at various stages of development, including the formal English garden, the vertical gardens, the Japanese garden, the Mill Creek medicinal garden and the Golden Rule Gethsemane garden.

Koi and ducks on the water below the waterwheel

Water features

Walk the shores of Pecan Lake and along its streams and waterfalls. The lake is a regenerative aquatic ecosystem, stocked with catfish, largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill and shoals of flathead minnows. The water draws wildlife, and many birds: great blue heron, green heron, white egret, merganser, kingfisher, cormorant, falcon, hawk, owl, woodpecker, swift, and more for you to identify.

Themed gardens

The gardens by name

Among others, the themed gardens include:

  • Production mosaic
  • English garden
  • Mediterranean garden
  • Italian garden
  • Mill Creek medicinal garden
  • Hillside vertical garden
  • Japanese garden
  • French garden
  • Tropical garden
  • Vietnamese garden
  • Southwest garden
  • Year-round fruit orchard

Self-guided tour

Stops on the self-guided tour

Among the places you will pass on a walk around the gardens:

  • Welcome to the gardens
  • Golden Rule Gethsemane Garden
  • Tropical Gardens
  • Vietnamese Garden
  • Japanese Cherry Orchard
  • Japanese Tea House
  • Legend Falls
  • Mill Creek Medicinal Garden
  • The Gristmill
  • Hillside Vertical Garden
  • English Garden
  • Pecan Lake
  • Rose Arbor
  • White Rose
  • Grandfather Tree
  • Stone Stairway at the Japanese Garden
  • Ficus and the King Bloom
  • Formal English
  • Arizona Pecan Trees
  • Sweet Potato Vine
  • Chaste Tree
  • Lower Japanese Garden
  • Mysteria Wisteria
  • Bridge to Zen
  • Canna Lily
  • Hibiscus, Chickens and Bamboo

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to walk through the gardens?
General admission is $10 per person for ages 12 and up. Kids under 12 get in free as long as they’re with a paying adult. That single admission price covers every themed garden and the full self-guided tour.
Can I fish or canoe while I’m touring the gardens?
Yes, fishing entry and canoe rental are both available as add-ons to your garden visit. Fishing entry is $10 per person at any age, while canoe rental is $16 per person for ages 12 and up, with a reduced $5 rate for kids under 12. Many visitors combine a garden walk with one or both activities in the same trip.
Is there food or drink nearby if I get hungry mid-visit?
Yes, three restaurants sit just a short walk from the gardens at Pecan Lake. Hide Out 206 covers drinks and light snacks, Your Pie handles pizza, and Caldwell County BBQ offers a heartier wood-smoked meal. You can easily step out for a bite and come back to finish the tour.
Do I need a photo pass just to take pictures while I walk around?
No, casual and unposed photography is welcome throughout the gardens at no extra cost. A photo pass is only required for staged or posed sessions. Buy one online and staff will email you to schedule it, or ask through the contact form. So snapping pictures of the plants, the mill or your family as you walk is completely fine without one.
What are the gardens’ opening hours?
The gardens are open daily, generally from 11 AM to 9 PM Monday through Thursday. Friday hours extend to 10 PM, and Saturday runs from 10 AM to 10 PM. Sunday hours are 10 AM to 9 PM, giving you a wide window to plan your visit around the week.
The millhouse and waterwheel seen past an olive tree, a topiary-lined garden path leading up to it
The Pecan Lake sign wall reflected in still water, willows along the bank

Walk it at your own pace

Every garden and the whole tour are included with general admission.

Plan your visit