Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Vietnam Memorial Gardens and Museum

Galveston County boasts one of the most active Master Gardener programs in Texas. They are consistently recognized for their outstanding outreach efforts, focusing on various aspects of home horticulture. They do such an incredible job that sometimes we forget that there are other MG programs doing some pretty cool things as well.

While visiting Mineral Wells (Parker County) the other day, we stumbled across the National Vietnam Museum. Sorry to say – I’d never heard of it or knew such a tribute existed. We stopped in to explore (BTW – it’s located on the Mineral Wells State Park Trailway) and discovered a very unique place.

There was Vietnam era memorabilia, tanks, armored vehicles, even a helicopter. But most impressive to us were the surrounding gardens – designed, installed and maintained by the Parker County Master Gardeners.

The Meditation Garden was well designed and used numerous native and drought tolerant plant materials. The crushed granite walking surface forms a labyrinth, lined with native stone. The gazebo provides a comfortable seating area.


The Contemplation Garden has a similar look and feel, providing visual continuity as visitors move through the grounds. This area adjoins a replica of “The Vietnam Memorial Wall.” A very somber reminder of lives lost in this conflict. 




The Vietnam National Museum is an excellent example of just one way in which the Master Gardener program supports Texas communities.Thanks Parker County MGers...