When it comes to awesome public gardens to visit, Illinois has several heavy hitters.
From popular choices like Chicago Botanic Garden and Morton Arboretum: to smaller yet still magnificent places like Merrick Rose Garden and Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Rockford, we are spoiled to have so much beauty right outside our doorstep.
Photo by Caroline Ashley on Unsplash
Photo by Caroline Ashley on Unsplash
HGTV recently published a list of the most beautiful gardens to visit in every state, and guess what? They chose Anderson Japanese Gardens for Illinois’ pick!
Illinois’ Most Beautiful Garden
I’m not ashamed to admit that when I saw that HGTV named Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford the most beautiful garden to visit in Illinois, I fist-pumped a little.
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As someone who grew up here, I already knew this place was something special, but it’s nice when the rest of the world finally catches on.
I’m pretty sure that anyone who has been to Anderson Japanese Gardens before would agree it isn’t just another pretty park with flowers and trees. It is a peaceful retreat filled with koi ponds, calming waterfalls and something new and beautiful to see everywhere you turn. It’s not a place you “walk through,” it’s a place you experience, savor and enjoy.
So why did HGTV choose Anderson Japanese Gardens as Illinois’ best?
Master craftsmen from Japan created this 12-acre meditation in motion, where every stone, stream, and maple has been placed with intention. The koi-filled ponds reflect the changing seasons, creating twice the beauty at every turn.
I personally believe that Anderson Japanese Gardens is best to experience in the fall when the changing leaf colors are at their peak, so start planning your visit now at andersongardens.org.
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