There are many wonderful places near Hot Springs Village to enjoy the sights and sounds of spring. One of the most peaceful venues is Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs.
Nestled in the picturesque Ouachita Mountains of Southwest Arkansas, Garvan Woodland Gardens is the botanical garden of the University of Arkansas. The Gardens are a wonderful gift from local industrialist and philanthropist, Verna Cook Garvan.
"Garvan Woodland Gardens is an example of The Natural State at its best: a canopy of pines reaching skyward providing protection for delicate flora and fauna, gentle lapping waves that unfold along the 4 ½ miles of wooded shoreline, and rocky inclines that
remind us of the surrounding Ouachita Mountains. From the dynamic architectural structures to the majestic botanical landscapes, Garvan Woodland Gardens offers breathtaking sights (and fantastic photo opportunities) at every turn." Major components of the Gardens include Warren's Woodland Walk, Garden of the Pine Wind, Weyerhaeuser Bonsai Garden, and Anthony Chapel.
Warren's Woodland Walk
Named for Warren Bankson, a longtime employee of Mrs. Verna Cook Garvan, Warren's Woodland Walk leads through the Gardens to Camellia Trail, Daffodil Hill, and Singing Springs. Many varieties of azaleas and thousands of companion plants are among the many original plantings by Mrs. Garvan that line the one-mile route. Bankson implemented Mrs. Garvan's vision from inception, through all the original gardens left to the University, and onto the first stages of the master plan.
Garden of the Pine Wind
The Garden of the Pine Wind is a four-acre, majestic rock and stream garden. Voted the 8th best Asian garden in North America in 2008 by the Journal of Japanese Gardening, it offers a quiet place for contemplation and meditation. Approximately 300 varieties of Asian ornamental plants can be viewed here - including 60 types of Japanese and other Asian maples and Oriental dogwoods. In springtime, more than 40 giant-flowered tree peonies and hundreds of azaleas complement the maple collection's attractive foliage.
David Slawson, a nationally recognized expert in Asian Art and garden design, used regional landscapes and the scenic ravines of the garden site as his inspiration for this
spectacular garden. Key features include the Sunrise Bridge, based on Japanese precedents and named by the mayor of Hot Springs' Sister City, Hanamaki, Japan; 
the picturesque Joy Manning Scott Bridge of the Full Moon, inspired by rustic bridges of China; three major cascades; a 12-foot waterfall; two springs; four pools; and a half-acre koi pond.
Weyerhaeuser Bonsai Garden
Weyerhaeuser Bonsai Garden is an intimate garden, hidden from the main trail by a coppice of small trees, is a showplace for bonsai. Two generous grants from the Weyerhaeuser Foundation funded the bonsai garden, designed by David Slawson, a landscape garden artist trained under Kinsaku Nakane, one of Japan's renowned garden masters.
Approximately 30 bonsai are displayed against vertical sandstone slab backdrops and square boulders of Ouachita quartzite along the gardens' tranquil cul-de-sac, complete with a minuscule stone footpath bridge. The small, diverse collection is comprised of dwarf pines, elms, azaleas, junipers, and other plant subjects trained in the Japanese tradition of bonsai and the Chinese tradition of penjing. Curator Paula Campbell, nurtures the miniature trees for the enjoyment of the public.
Anthony Chapel
Nestled under a thick canopy of sky-reaching southern pines and age-old oak trees, the Anthony Chapel quietly beckons those in need of solitude and respite. Nearly six stories tall, the brilliantly designed structure compliments the surrounding wooded landscape and offers views of the changing seasons with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and multiple skylights that encourage sunbeams to dance across the impressive flagstone floors.
Maurice Jennings, a prominent Arkansas draftsman from Fayetteville (AR), relied on his 25-years of experience working with nationally renowned design partner Fay Jones to create a truly awe-inspiring chapel that rivals the team's most famous creation - Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, AR - named the 4th best design of the 20th Century by the American Institute of Architects.
Typical of Jennings' design philosophy, he brings the outdoors inside and secures it with an intricate, open-beam bracing system and massive pine columns. The 160-seat Anthony Chapel is the site of numerous events, including concerts, memorial and christening services, and approximately 175 weddings annually.
Southwest Arkansas timber magnate and former University of Arkansas Board of Trustees member John Ed Anthony and his wife Isabel, whose families have had a presence in Hot Springs for more than five generations, generously donated $1 million to the chapel project, which cost about $3.8 to construct.
