Brookside Gardens

The Brookside Gardens are a public garden within the Wheaton Regional park in Wheaton, Maryland. The park consist of 50 acres and contains a number of garden areas, including a 1972 established Japanese style garden with a tea house known as the Gude garden.

Website: https://montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/brookside-gardens/

When first approaching the Gude garden, one traverses a path that follows a series of rolling hills and ponds with a small island within. 

A Japanese style teahouse sits on the island and offers views across the ponds. Bamboo, conifers, and ground cover populate the island. Beech trees, blue Atlas cedar, souther magnolia and Kousa dogwood are all present. 

The island can be accessed via a number of small bridges, including a stone bridge that also acts as a water damn.

There are two large tori Sukiya-style gates that provide access to the teahouse. Not a traditional teahouse, the structure is more like a large open area platform with Japanese architectural features incorporated into the roof.

Trees and shrubs around the structure help tie it in to the larger island lanscape.

Overall, the garden was a pleasant experience. It was wonderful to behold from a distance, as well as take in the views from the teahouse. 

The Gude Garden is well worth a visit.