Shimonita Area
Shimonita Hydrangea Garden
The Shimonita Hydrangea Garden is a three-hectare hillside park in the Kanra District that contains some 20,000 hydrangeas growing in the woods. The big balls of blossoms—in white, pinks, purples, and blues—are at their best during the June rainy season, although in well-shaded areas the flowers continue blooming for many months. The park is crisscrossed with walking trails and steps to allow access to the flowers and woodland. In the lowest part of the garden is a pond in the shape of the Shimonita district. During the main hydrangea season, the pond is often filled with cut hydrangea blossoms. Gazebos on the hillside offer views over the valley below.
The valley and hillside are geologically significant. The rushing Kabura River, which flows out of the steep mountains to the west, slows here as the terrain levels out. The river made this valley millennia ago, producing natural terraces as it worked its way across a plain, carving first a broad valley and then, eventually, the narrower valley floor of today. These ancient natural terraces are still discernible when moving through the hydrangea garden.