Yesterday, the Waterfront Botanical Gardens broke ground on its two-acre Japanese Garden designed by world-renowned Shiro Nakane of Nakane & Associates.
Gov. Andy Beshear and Mayor Greg Fischer were in attendance + during the ceremony, Louisville-based rolled aluminum distributor, Tri-Arrows Aluminum, pledged $1 million to the $22 million project.
Over the next 24 months, Perkins+Will, the Waterfront Botanical Gardens architecture firm, will assist in the construction a traditional Japanese Tea House, a summer house, a Zen garden, a bonsai garden + a zig-zag bridge over a small pond near the Graeser Family Education Center at 1435 Frankfort Ave.
The public garden will introduce the 502 to the Japanese tea ceremony — an important Japanese cultural tradition that involves preparing, serving, and drinking tea to create a bond between the host + guest. For many years, it was a practice reserved only for Japan’s elite zen monks and nobles.
Other garden features include:
- 30 trees donated by Tommy McCurry + the Chicago Botanic Garden
- Cornelian cherry trees — a type of flowering dogwood tree
- A winding path with garden “rooms” for visitors to rest and contemplate bonsai artwork
- Large plaza for educational and social gatherings
Celebrate Japanese culture in Louisville by attending the Japanese Gala tomorrow, Sat., Oct. 1 or the Bento Box Demonstration on Tues., Oct. 18.
