Wetland Boardwalk

As you stand on this deck, the perennial spring that feeds the Reflecting Pond is to your left. It flows constantly at a rate of approximately 8 gallons per minute. As you look to the left, you may also see three pipes which bring a portion of the storm water from the Formal Gardens to the Pond. Most of the water flowing through the creek originates somewhere below the visible pipes—this isn’t the perennial spring.

The hillsides to your right are spotted with perennial seeps, which keep the soil extremely moist throughout the year. A seep is the saturated soil near a spring. The permanently wet soil creates an ideal habitat for many of the native wetland plants that you see here: white turtlehead, jewelweed, cardinal flower, great blue lobelia, marsh marigold, wild blue iris, swamp milkweed, common arrowhead, and many more.