PATHWAY TO SERENITY The Japanese garden is an oasis of quiet symbolism and harmony. Exhibit takes you there. 'SENSE OF PLACE' EXHIBITS DIVERSE GARDEN TIPS

For The Free Lance-Star

THE JAPANESE GARDEN at the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory in Washington, D.C., encompasses less than 300 square feet, but the lush green plants, strategically placed stones and antique water basin provide visitors a calming, spiritual message.

"The Japanese garden should be a tranquil place," said Virginia Harmon, a gardener with the Botanical Garden who meticulously tended the terrace entrance as visitors meandered by. "It should purify your soul when you view it or when you walk through it. This style of garden is symbolic of spiritual purification. There's a feeling of harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity."

The replica garden created by the Japanese Garden of Portland, Ore., is one of a dozen replica gardens on display outside the conservatory. The "Sense of Place" display, on exhibit through Oct. 8, celebrates the beauty and diversity of America's public gardens. More than 300,000 visitors are expected to visit the conservatory during that time.

Portland's Japanese Garden, operated by the Japanese Garden Society of Oregon, is one of two gardens from the West Coast, and the only Japanese garden in the exhibit. A recent survey conducted by The Journal of Japanese Gardening described the Portland garden as among the finest outside of Japan.

Japanese master gardener Toru Tanaka designed the miniature garden at the conservatory. A native of Japan, he has created noted gardens around the country and serves as an adviser for the Portland Japanese Garden. He operates a landscape design and management company in Portland.

He and head gardener Michael Condo spent about a week in May creating the garden at the conservatory. The space highlights the use of stone, water and plants as they might appear in a garden surrounding a traditional tea house.

"I tried to convey a sense of the broad array of styles represented in our garden in Portland," said Tanaka in a press release.

"We have five styles in the Portland Japanese Garden, representing various developments in garden design over the long history of gardens in Japan. I combined elements from each of these styles into a harmonious design to give a sense of the special character of our gardens in Portland."

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Visitors to the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory will find a sample of gardens from all over the country this summer. The outdoor terrace at the National Mall showcases the beauty of 12 public gardens in its "Sense of Place: Public Gardens Across America" exhibit that runs through Oct. 8.

Ray Mims, conservation horticulturist at the Botanic Garden, said the exhibit demonstrates the beauty and range of the country's gardens from tropical to desert.

"You can come here to see different types of public gardens and why public gardens are so important," said Mims. "It gives you an idea of all the types of things you can be doing [with gardens] without traveling all over the country."

The exhibit marks the first time the Botanic Garden has devoted its terrace exhibit to the works of other public gardens.

"Typically we have big exhibits on our terrace but nothing quite this divergent," said Mims. "Every one is completely different. One needs water every day, and another rarely needs water. Some that take a lot more care and others that are more natural. You go from California to Brooklyn, from North Carolina to Key West without leaving the terrace."

Participating gardens are:

Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Clermont, Ky.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York

Denver Botanic Gardens in Colorado

The Sara P. Duke Gardens in Durham, N.C.

The Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, Calif.

Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden in Florida

Frederk Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis

National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawaii and Florida

Norfolk Botanical Garden in Virginia

North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill

Admission to the U.S. Botanic Garden is free. The Conservatory is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. The Conservatory's main entrance is located at 100 Maryland Avenue, S.W. Find out more by visiting usbg.gov.

Want to create your own Japanese garden? Virginia Harmon, gardener with the U.S. Botanic Garden, suggests starting small.

She recommends using plants native to the area and keep flowering plants to a minimum.

"Don't overcrowd the space," said Harmon. "It doesn't need one of everything."

Landscape architect and Portland Japanese Garden adviser Sadafumi Uchiyama offers these tips:

Choose only one dominant element or theme--for instance, a contemplative space or a quiet refuge.

Study the site carefully.

Identify a primary viewpoint from which the garden will be seen.

Study examples from the past and find a good model.

Lay out the design on paper.

Place the primary elements first.

Keep the scope and complexity manageable.

Keep a natural, human scale--don't miniaturize.

Keep it simple.

Use three-rock arrangements as focal points; place other rocks in combinations of one or two.

Date published: 7/14/2007

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