The garden was designed by Koichi Kawana, the designer behind the Japanese gardens in San Diego, Chicago, and St. Louis. Sho-Fu-En was completed in 1979 and is a mix of western and Japanese elements. The garden is a traditional Japanese stroll garden, while the plants consist of native species that can be found in the Rockies, especially the many pine trees that are present. In addition to a traditional teahouse, there is a large of pond with small stone islands, a sand and stone garden, and a Bonsai pavilion.
Website: http://navigate.botanicgardens.org/weboi/oecgi2.exe/INET_ECM_DispFeat?FEATCODE=LOC_GJAP&TOURMODE=0
The garden is often ranked within the top 20 Japanese gardens in North America. It is well worth a visit.
I entered the garden at 9:00 a.m and exited at 9:00 p.m. on a gorgeous sun-filled day. The twelve hour spread gave me the opportunity to photograph the garden in a variety of lighting conditions. The pictures below reflect different times of the day, and in so doing, create multiple impressions of the same features.
