Huntington's Garden of Flowing Fragrance

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

If you have the opportunity, drive out to the Huntington in Pasadena and revel in the relatively new Garden of Flowing Fragrance (Liu Fang Yuan). It is truly a treat for the senses right now with so much in bloom and little heat. For the first time I was able to get a real sense of the way the Chinese can respect nature and combine it in ways so that it is like a scroll. As you walk along the paths, each stopping place gives a vista that could easily be found in any painting. It is an inspiring construct. There are several magnificent wood carvings of vistas of a famous garden in Shanghai. Everywhere is attendant poetry and calligraphy which reminds me of the concert of the three art forms that we learned of. For me this garden achieves the unity that was the goal of the masters. A field trip to this beautiful place would be the perfect ending to the China unit in seventh grade history. [Edit by="mseeger on Jun 13, 8:39:17 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the tip! I have been meaning to head out there to see the gardens, but it is pretty expensive. They do have a free day once a month, but you have to reserve tickets ahead of time here is the information on that: to get tickets for July Free Day (July 3). Reserve your tickets over the phone at 800-838-3006 or reserve them online. You cannot get Free Day tickets in person. Choose between two time periods, 10:30am to noon or 1:30pm to 3pm. One person can reserve up to 5 tickets.

[Anonymous]

While you are at the Huntington gardens, save enough time and energy to continue your walk through the Japanese garden. Here again the garden and the house from the 19th century reflect a scene that would give students an accurate look at the cultural elements of the Japanese of the time. The artifacts are meticulously placed in a small home and include a shrine, a tea ceremony set, kimonos and a samurai sword in a setting that conveys the feeling that it represents a venerated ancestor. The bonsai display and rock garden are marvelously serene. As far as students are concerned, being able to see both cultures in close proximity presents a wonderful opportunity to do a compare and contrast product.

[Anonymous]

I definitely agree that the Huntington Libray is worth a trip. I was just thinking about potential ways to connect a field trip (real or virtual I suppose) to the subject I teach, which is English. I think it could be interesting to develop a project that links advance historical research with photography at the gardens, then a post-trip wrtiting assignment. This assignment could be a poem that incorporates the a description of the image in the photo, but also alludes to the history behind the garden. Something to consider!

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for this information about tickets. I visited this garden once before for a class but I've always wanted to go back. The koi pond is miraculous as is the sculpture gardens and the Japanese Gardens. It's a great place to spend the day and take pictures and I'd love to take my parents there. I'll be sure to call ahead and take advantage of the advance ticket opportunity. Thanks for passing this information along.

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