Huntington Garden

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

Loved our trip to the garden and appreciated the docent beginning our time with a reference to our readings ie the secret garden which I believe is The Peach Blossom story found in our original Chinese Anthology. The women in my family always celebrate their birthdays with a walk in the Huntington Gardens and I cannot wait to be "the tour guide" this time around. Hopefully it will help me to cement the knowledge. TextText

[Anonymous]

It was especially interesting to have a guided tour of both Chinese and Japanese areas of the gardens. The contrasts were evident from being able to see both in quick succession. The guide was informative without distracting from the pleasure of seeing the features of both gardens.

Having visited Chinese gardens in Portland, OR, (another very well designed garden) and Vancouver, B.C., within the past two years, the size of the Huntington Garden version is quite evident.

The afternoon session was highly informative and in comfortable quarters.

[Anonymous]

I too have been to the gardens outside of Portland. Very beautiful, but what I remember most from that experience was the rose garden.

The Hunington Gardens was beautiful. I have been to the library in the past but I never took the time to walk through the gardens. I enjoyed the architecture of the Chinese Garden, but the plants in the Japanese Gardens impressed me more.

I think the fact that the garden was almost 100 years old is the reason why I enjoyed the Japanese garden more. The fact that the plants and trees here were so much older, and more developed was so impressive. I also loved the Mondo Grass. I was at Home Depot the other day looking to buy some for the planters in my backyard.

The afternoon session was great. I really enjoy the historic lectures, but as an English teacher, the discussion of Japanese literature was great. I have already started to design some new lessons for my Humanities classes around the literature that we have been looking at this semester.

Thank you so much for a great afternoon.

[Anonymous]

Wow...I am still in awe thinking about our trip to the gardens. We are hoping to arrange a field trip there- if not this year then next for sure. What a wonderful way to see- and experience- both Japan and China. I always joke with my students that we will take a field trip to another country....this, to me, is as close as we'll most likely come- even more so than visiting a museum.

I created centers to do when the students are studying Japan in my seventh grade history classes. It's one of my favorite sections, and the centers are meant to help the students explore not only the history of Japan, but also the various art forms created there. Since garening (including the Zen garden) and flower arranging are two of the art forms we discuss and explore, the gardens would be a fabulous addition to tthis unit.

[Anonymous]

ooo...and one more comment about the gardens.

What a wonderful connection to ba able to make...threefold, really.....between Japanese gardens, literature, and religion......

[Anonymous]

The garden was great. I can't wait to take my kid there. He'll love the Bonsai garden. I purchased a few plants while I was there. The plants are doing great. They have a very interesting selection and will be having a big plant sale soon.

The lecture accompanied with the tour made for a wonderful educational experience. Gaining knowledge of the history and development of East Asian literary tradition has greatly enhanced my ability to appreciate the works of art from this region. A big thank you to our presenter and docent!

[Anonymous]

How is your twig. Dude, that thing looked dead. All the beautiful plants they had and you bought a walking stick. Hope that looks good in your backyard.

Only kidding. The gardens were great and Jason added a couple of very interesting plants to his back yard.

[Anonymous]

Our trip to the Huntington Gardens felt like a brief escape. The place had a pleasant calming effect on me. This was definitely a great idea. I am planning to return now that the art gallery has reopened.

[Anonymous]

What I really enjoyed about the our field trip to the Huntington Library was the predetermined views the architects has established by placing windows in strategic areas overlooking the gardens. It was really good having Miranda as a guide who could read and interpret the calligraphy on the tiles for us.

[Anonymous]

Although it's been a few months since we went there, I keep thinking about the tour of the gardens. I've seen other Japanese gardens, most recently in Vancouver and Portland (the most amazing one I've visited), but the Chinese Garden was a special treat. Portland also has a small Chinese Garden which is very nice. I saw the ukelele player Jake Shimbakuru briefly there last summer. But nothing compares to the Chinese gardens they created at the Huntington. I have a hard time putting my finger on what makes it so special. I put a picture I took there on my desktop which displays from the classroom projector and one of my students asked if I had gone to China. Perhaps that's why this garden is so special. After you've been there for a little while, you feel like you might actually be somewhere in China.[Edit by="anicolai on Jul 15, 4:04:20 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

What a great idea to use pictures of the gardens at the Huntington as a screensaver for your computer or laptop. I unfortunately forgot to bring my camera that day...I guess that gives me an excuse to go back to visit again.

[Anonymous]

The twig is fine. It turned from gray to green. It also sprouted little leaves and the whole thing is fuzzy. Check it out and my other plant from the Huntington Library Plant Sale.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewAlbums&friendID=114421478

[Anonymous]

I just returned from China where I visited the Yuyuan Garden, which dates to the Ming Dynasty, in Shanghai and the Garden of the Master of Nets in Suzhou ( a UNESCO World Heritage Site), I am anxious to return to Liu Fang Yuan at the Huntington to compare. Albeit newer, the garden we visited will transport the visitor to the China of the Mings and Qings. Lacking the aged, weathered look of the teahouse and rooms at Yuyuan, the gnarled trees and the stands of bamboo and the lotus in Suzhou, takes nothing away from the experience of walking through Liu Fang Yuan. The lake water eroded rocks from China are the same age whether in China or California. Imagine you are the first caretaker of this splendid garden and you want to care for it so others several centuries after you can also appreciate it. Spend a moment noticing the craftsman's work setting the pebbles in the path. Admire the view through the open pciture windows in the walls --- paintings of nature. Watch for butterflies and dragonflies and toss food to the goldfish in the pond. Take a moment to drink a glass of tea, savoring its flavor and scent, then bing out the sketchbook or journal and . . . .

We were fortunate to visit the garden in its first year, its youth. We are fortunate that we can continue to visit Liu Fang Yuan and enjoy its maturing.

When you return, visit the Huntington Gardens website and download a walking tour. If you want to really get into the spirit, download it in Mandarin or Cantonese.

http://www.huntington.org/Advancement/ChineseGarden.htm

[Anonymous]

I really enjoyed seeing the Japanese and Chinese gardens. I feel like this would be a great field trip for my students. Most of them live in apartemnts, so it would be nice for them to experience a garden. I spent a lot of time in China about two years ago and visited gardens daily. After listening to the docent, there were so many things that I hadn't noticed while I was there. When I got home, I pulled out my album to look for some of the details she spoke of. It was also very much apreciated that we did the tour first, before the heat set in. 8)

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