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History | What We Do | Friends of McCrory Gardens | Maps | Sights of the Gardens Children's Maze | Centennial Prairie Garden | Rock Garden | Tree Collections | Related Links THE CHILDREN'S MAZE Children's Maze Sponsors • The Children's Maze is sponsored by • Joe & Karin Youngberg of Brookings as a memorial to their daughter, Jennifer. The Children's Maze in McCrory Gardens is designed in the traditional hedge manner and styled somewhat after the knee high mazes popular during the Renaissance. It was planted in 1990 and contains 1140 feet of hedges maintained at a height of three to six feet. The hedge material is Nugget Ninebark, a dense, compact shrub with golden foliage. The hedges will be maintained at a 2 1/2 to 3 foot width; the walkways will be 3 to 3 1/2 foot wide and covered with wood chips. Once in the maze, the goal is to reach the center, twisting your way through six foot high hedges. Once at the center, the goal is to find the exit. Labyrinths and Mazes Labyrinth and maze are almost always used as synonymous terms. Correctly used, labyrinth means a very long and twisted track. If you go on (and on and on) you are bound to get to the center. The term maze is more properly applied to those arrangements which have at various points a block which forces you to retrace steps until ultimately you find the correct path to the center. The concept of the labyrinth goes back many centuries B.C. The early labyrinths can be traced to ancient Crete, Egypt, and Rome where they appeared in the form of elaborate palaces, prisons, and catacombs. During the Middle Ages the church used the labyrinth to represent the tortuous path believers must follow. The labyrinth's pattern was depicted on church floors, either painted, carved, or executed in mosaic tile. During the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, the labyrinth gave way to the maze which was slightly modified, located outside the church, and usually formed by simply cutting shallow trenches in the turf. The turf maze was primarily for amusement, varying in shape from round to square. The hedge maze, formed most often from clipped yew, box, or privet, did not appear until the late Middle Ages and into the Renaissance. These early mazes used low-growing plants such as hyssop, thyme, and lavender. Most were less than knee high, often incorporating into the design splashes of color, an occasional tree, and scented herbs. Early mazes were both functionally and aesthetically pleasing and were meant to be viewed as well as walked in. Few of these early mazes survive today. Those that remain: Hampton Court (1690), Hatfield, and Chatsworth in England; the Alcazar in Spain; Stuefors in Sweden; and Weldam in Holland tend to be of much later date and have hedges of head high sameness. Today, mazes are enjoying a new revival around the world, particularly in Britain and Japan. Britain has nearly 60 mazes open to the public, including a 1 1/2 acre maze at Longleat estate near Bath. Established in 1978, it is the world's largest, containing tall hedges with six wooden bridges and underpasses. The British Tourist Authority designated 1991 as the Year of The Maze. In contrast to the traditional English hedge maze which is artistic and ornamental, the mazes of Japan are strictly for amusement. Japanese mazes are made of wood with plank walls 6 1/2 feet high. Walkways are wide, usually containing several check points. The route of the maze is easily altered by shifting a wall or sliding a door. Today there are over 100 commercial mazes located in amusement parks throughout Japan. Nugget Ninebark Nugget Ninebark, introduced by SDSU in 1990, is the shrub used in the Maze Garden. Nugget is a dense compact shrub of low to medium size and texture. Its foliage is a deep golden yellow with a hint of bronze on new growth. Nugget is quick to establish. New growth is a deep golden yellow, turning lime green at maturity. Mature branches are dark brown with shedding bark. Flowers are white and not especially showy; fruit is reddish brown and persistent. Fall foliage color, lasting several weeks, is a deep bronze externally and yellow internally. Questions? Contact McCrory Gardens Martin.Maca@sdstate.edu |
