I love the parks in Los Angeles. Throughout the larger area we are blessed to have gems that take you out of hectic life in the city to places of peace , tranquility, and natural beauty. I appreciate the vision the creators of these places had, and am grateful we still have these sanctuaries. These snapshots were taken on two different days in mid winter.
A link to The Japanese Garden in Van Nuys web site:
Suiho-en
The Japanese Garden, Van Nuys at the Tillman Water Reclamation Plant
Quoted from the Japanese Garden General Information:
“The Garden’s Unique Design:
“The Garden of Water and Fragrance” is a cultural showplace of Los Angeles. It was created by world renowned designer, Dr. Koichi Kawana. In designing Suiho-en, Dr. Kawana balanced the positive and negative forces Yin and Yang, with skillful blending of traditional Japanese garden design and modern Western architecture.
Dr. Kawana assimilated traditional Japanese garden principles with the local environment so that each garden related to its unique surrounding, thus achieving what he termed “mystic profundity”. He believed that the purpose of a Japanese garden is to present natural forms and to create a tranquil beauty that leads visitors from everyday life to calm, serene, reflective communion with nature.
All of the water used in the Garden is from reclaimed wastewater that has been processed at the D.C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant. Mr. Tillman was the City Engineer for Los Angeles from 1972 to 1980. His visionary design included plans for a Japanese Garden to be enjoyed by the local community and to teach visitors from around the world about the need for water recycling and reuse.”
Caroline Davies © 2010
