Bliss amongst the flower bouquets
at Clark Gardens
If you plan to visit Weatherford, you must visit Clark Gardens. It’s like walking through fragrant flower bouquets!
This 35 acre botanical garden, located west of town, is nothing less than a horticultural masterpiece. There are so many paved paths, and so much to see, that you could literally get lost in the maze; we did! But that’s half the fun. This is also why they provide a map with a modest admission, and offer motorized cart tours, supply wheelchairs upon request, and provide many garden benches to rest on.
On this visit, I packed a picnic and brought the children for a full day of fun. Upon entering the park, we were greeted by our own personal guide – the Clark’s family dog; a beautiful Chocolate Lab named Deuce. My children immediately fell in love with him as he led us through the paths around trickling fountains, lush bedding plants, whimsical plant stands, and a garden trellis full of blooming flowers.
We crossed a garden bridge to explore lush miniature islands and marveled as we walked under a cascading waterfall. Around each corner was a new surprise. Past the waterfall we discovered an amazing pond full of blooming lily pads and pond plants.
The garden was full of life that day. We watched squirrels scamper through the trees above our heads, butterflies fluttering amongst the flowers, and large colorful lizards basking in the sun. There were geese, ducks, and swans swimming in the lakes, and of course our faithful guide, Deuce, took a few dips in the water too!
The chapel was absolutely beautiful that day, and looked grand under that bright blue sky. I can see why so many couples choose Clark Gardens when planning their wedding. In fact, there are so many large gazebos, and lattice covered decks overlooking the lakes, this would be the perfect place to hold most any event.
We ventured on past the chapel, and around the lion-head fountain, to explore the miniature trains. This alone is well worth the price of admission! Even though the trains weren’t running that day, we were awestruck at the creativity of the miniature train tracks that curved between the charming garden decoration and through tunnels in the trees. I could see the children’s imaginations running wild as they gazed at the bridges running above their heads.
We soon found ourselves in a massive flower garden full of countless rows of tall and colorful blooming Cannas. Bring lots of film, or batteries for your digital camera, because there is just an overwhelming amount of wonderful picturesque opportunities in Clark Gardens! I had planned on taking just a few shots, but ended up finding so many things to take pictures of that my children kept saying “Come on mom, lets go!” There was, of course, more exploring to do. We actually ran out of steam and never ended up seeing everything in the garden that day. But we didn’t want to rush; we were just soaking it all up, and enjoying ourselves in this lush oasis.
As the evening grew close, my children and I found a cozy spot in the shade and sat contently on a garden swing, entranced by the fragrant
flower bouquets
and the sweet songbirds. Then, to our surprise, Mr. Clark, the mastermind behind this entire garden, pulled up on his golf cart with his trusty dog, Chocolate Matilda, who happens to a relative of Deuce. I recognized Mr. Clark right away, since earlier in the day my children and I were admiring a statue of him sitting on the ground planting flowers with his dog. He politely introduced himself, and we had a lovely conversation with Mr. Clark. I was pleasantly surprised to find he was a very friendly and down to earth gentleman. He was pleased to see us sitting there enjoying his garden, and we were pleased to meet the man with such an enormous gardening vision.
At the end of the day, before we had even drove out of the park, my children were asking me if we could come back next weekend. We are looking forward to going back soon for a fall foliage tour. My son is 11 and my daughter 7, so when you find a place that is extraordinary enough to entertain both age groups for an entire day, and they want to come back….well, then you know you have found something very special indeed.
Clark Gardens is located approximately 15 minutes west of Weatherford, off of Mineral wells highway, at 567 Maddux Rd. The garden is open Monday through Saturday between 7:30 AM to 6 PM, and Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission is only $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for seniors & children ages 5-12. Children under 5 are free. If you would like to visit Clark Gardens, or would like more information about reserving the park for your special event, please visit the official website
www.clarkgardens.com
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