New burst of Spring growth

          Each Spring we see a burst of Scotch Pine "candles' that have to be trimmed.

                             These large bright flowers are from the Cranberry Bush.

  Japanese love flowers and make a special effort to have something blooming in their gardens through all seasons, so they tend to choose more woody plants, like evergreens and bushes, as well as flowers like these early blooming Siberian Irises. 
Anderson Japanese Gardens

There is a love story associated with Irises and bridges. A scholar went away for a time walking along a river that branched into 8 streams each with a bridge. Along side the bridges were Irises. Missing his true love, he took the Japanese word for Iris and composed a poem to his love beginning with each letter.

                                                  View from the Guest House porch.

 

Hoichi Kirusu, master Japanese garden designer, is designing a new 

eight acre Japanese garden in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

It will open in 2015

 

Construction site of the new Japanese Garden in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Spring in Anderson Japanese Gardens

    Visitors always remark how great this willow tree looks. Most of the willows are 
     green. I took this picture May 3, 2013. (Double tap the pictures to enlarge).

                    The Azaleas are in full bloom now and look lovely after the rain today.

       This stone (zen) beach is all new this year. They did a nice job of laying out all the 
        stones. 

                                       White Star Magnolias (originate in Japan).

    The gardeners installed a new wooden bridge above the waterfalls last fall.
    It has already aged to a nice dark color.

                                                         Tea house and azaleas.