The City of Santa Clarita welcomed residents Tuesday afternoon to the grand opening of a new Meditation Garden at Duane R. Harte Park, unveiling a peaceful space designed for relaxation.

City officials, community members and local instructors gathered at the meditation garden for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the garden – which is tucked into a secluded area at the far end of park and intentionally set away from playgrounds and heavy foot traffic.

New Meditation Garden at Duane R. Harte Park (Sophia Lesseos KHTS)

City Councilmember Marsha McLean said the idea for the Meditation Garden was inspired by “The Nature Fix” by Florence Williams, a book she read through the city’s “One Story, One City” program, which focused on nature.

“As I read it, I thought, what a wonderful way to be able to have our city have a quiet kind of like a Zen, like atmosphere, just to come and reflect and help with inner peace,” McLean said. “In the book, it mentions how veterans need a place to be able to come after they have PTSD. And I thought, OK, let’s see if we can’t do something like that here in Santa Clarita. So I went to the city manager and asked to have this done and luckily, our city was able to do it.”

McLean said the project had been in the works for a while.

“Oh gosh, a couple of years,” she said. “It takes a while when you ask to have something done, to kind of go through the process and everything. But I’m very grateful that our city manager and the council went along with it.”

The garden’s design emphasizes simplicity and balance, allowing the surrounding hillsides and mature oak trees to remain the focal point. Natural materials such as stone, wood and decomposed granite paths were selected to promote calm and well-being, along with drought-tolerant landscaping that blends into the existing park environment.

A looping walking path guides visitors through the space, with seating areas, multiple viewpoints and options for both sun and shade. 

Instead of traditional water features, the garden suggests movement through terraced gravel and natural stone elements, complemented by a subtle, solar-powered boulder fountain.

McLean said Santa Clarita already prioritizes open space, but she wanted to see something more meditative added to the city’s park system.

“Our city has 40 parks right now, so we do care about having spaces for people to be able to come and enjoy nature,” she said. “And I thought, wouldn’t it be wonderful to have something like Korea has it, India has it, Japan has Zen gardens? And I thought, wouldn’t it be wonderful to have that here in Santa Clarita?”

Following the ribbon cutting, attendees observed demonstrations of yoga and a sound bath from Annelie H. De Fazio, owner of Serenity Hot Yoga, as well as Tai Chi led by instructor Sarah Lowman. A stone-painting activity was also offered for children.

Sophia Lesseos | KHTS

Standing inside the garden, McLean said the space already delivered the feeling she envisioned.

“I do,” she said when asked if she felt Zen. “You can’t help it. I mean, with the sound bath and with Tai Chi, it’s exactly what I had hoped for.”

The Meditation Garden is located at 26401 Riverrock Way at Duane R. Harte Park. 

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