Rockford’s Anderson Japanese Garden
I’ve already written a few posts about how back in August, Beth of PlantPostings initiated a meet up of Midwest garden bloggers in Rockford, Illinois. Bloggers from three states spent the day visiting the Klehm Arboretum, the Nicholson Coservatory, and having a relaxing and convivial lunch in downtown Rockford.
The last visit of the day was to the Anderson Japanese Gardens.
This garden was brought forth by designer Hoichi Kurisu and others from swampy creekside land owned by a Rockford businessman.
Kurisu also designed the Heavenly Falls area of the Portland Japanese Garden in Oregon.
The waterfalls here were certainly a cool sight on a hot August day.
A Japanese Tea House stood along a small stream.
By the time we passed the waterfalls and came to another small pond we were all feeling a bit limp from the heat and the long day. This seemed a good moment to sit in the shade of a willow and contemplate the water.
This attracted the attention of some colorful koi. Judy had an English muffin in her purse from the “continental breakfast” at our motel. (I always wonder if the continent in question is Antarctica.)
It was probably breaking some rule or other, but we spent some time amusing ourselves by feeding bits of English muffin to the koi.
If you live in or around Rockford (or are travelling through), you should really check out this garden.
gardeninacity 
So beautiful!
Thanks.
Hori hi just finished our Japanese garden at Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. I love volunteering my time in it!
Have you been to the Fernwood Garden near Niles?
Reblogged this on Caliban’s Hour.
This is a really beautiful and well-kept garden.
It was meticulously maintained, which you don’t always see these days.
I have friends who live in Rockford and I’m surprised that they never mentioned this garden. It looks very serene. I wonder how long it took to get that boat in just the right spot.
I lived in the region many years before finally getting there.
Three years in Japan gave me a tremendous appreciation for Japanese Gardens. My favorite was the Moss Garden in Kyoto.
Turkey, Japan – you’ve been a real world traveler. I guess the Navy can do that for you.
What a wonderful use of swampy land! The waterfalls look like the perfect place to visit on a hot summer day. We have a wonderful Japanese garden at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham, and it is one of my favorite places. There is something very soothing about this type of garden. The peaceful effect is carefully crafted but seems completely natural.
Well said. I think to maintain a Japanese garden properly you probably need a lot of training.
I love rocky banks beneath the Japanese Tea House. That setting looks so cool and peaceful.
It really was a perfect spot.
This is my favourite kind of garden…the lovely green soft look is very soothing, especially in hot weather.
It’s not my favorite, but I enjoyed it.
very beautiful. The combination of stone and green and water is perfect.
I really enjoyed it.
The shade of the garden was perfect for such a hot day. I would like to see this garden during spring and fall too.
I’d be up for that.
This was my favorite place of the day! And, I suspect, the best place to be on that hot afternoon–at least we had a little shade here:) Like Lisa, I would love to see this garden in the spring or fall. I wrote a post about this garden a couple of years ago when Beckie and I first visited it and did a little research on its origins. No wonder it rivals the Portland Japanese Garden, when one of the main designers helped to design the Anderson garden. It’s certainly a jewel hidden away in Rockford!
Thank you for visiting! English muffins aren’t the typical koi faire, so it must have been a real treat for them too! Spring & Autumn are lovely in the Garden. This is a great aerial video of the Garden in the fall (note: it doesn’t play on portable devices)http://youtu.be/bm44CoMzY2M
This was our “Essence of Autumn” video from this year… https://youtu.be/Uz5HIuqZGic
Many more videos on Anderson Japanese Gardens’ YouTube Channel…
David J. Anderson
Anderson Japanese Gardens
Great video! Thanks for the link.
It was certainly a beautiful garden.
How absolutely lovely, the design is wonderfully laid out.
Agreed.
I can imagine feeling cool and calm here on a hot day. Lovely.
Definitely a good place to relax.
Yes, a great resource for the area, and definitely worth a visit for those who live near or are traveling through. Judy’s photos are amazing! Woah, that was a hot day, wasn’t it?! But what better place to be on a hot day than at a calming Japanese garden in the shade. 🙂 This garden frequently makes the “top Japanese gardens” lists: http://www.uscitytraveler.com/15-best-japanese-gardens-in-america/ and http://www.placestoseeinyourlifetime.com/top-10-wonderful-japanese-gardens-23311/ (among other lists).
It was hot, but it was a good place for a hot day, and good company.
I’m sorry I missed this part –kind of. But on the other hand, I just really hated how hot it was that day! I’m amazed you guys made it through three gardens! My daughter loves to take photos at Anderson Gardens, and has been here much more often than I have. At some point, you should eat at the restaurant. It’s really nice.
We should try to gather again next year in the spring.
That’s lovely, Jason. Especially the entrance in your first photo. The best Japanese garden I’ve seen outside of Japan.
I’ve only seen three Japanese gardens, so I don’t have a lot of basis for comparison. But I certainly like this one.
Jason, it’s very pretty garden, I especially liked the last photo of ‘drop fountain’, typical Japanese one. Time ago I wanted to make the same in my garden but fortunately I didn’t make because it needs Japanese garden around it.
I also liked your thought about “continental breakfast” . It’s really true!
I feel the same way about the fountain.
How beautiful! The perfect garden, all that water must have been very soothing, I imagine it was quite the experience being there!xxx
It was a pleasure to visit.
Lovely, serene, and peaceful. Looks cool, even though you mentioned how hot it was.
It does have that feel to it.
Nothing beats heat and/or stress like a visit to a Japanese garden. I see many similarities to Portland’s but each garden has its own distinctive qualities.
The Portland garden is much larger and with more varied terrain.
You have captured beautifully the best parts of this garden…just lovely!
Thank you! Judy’s photography really deserves the credit.