June's PlantAsia

In addition to the Japanese garden Sho-Fu-En at the Denver Botanic Gardens, there is also a continental Asian garden located on the grounds. Part of the Internationally Inspired Gardens, June's PlantAsia is a mixture of East Asian and Himalayan region plants. 

Website: https://www.botanicgardens.org/york-street/internationally-inspired-gardens

Here are the photos:

I was fascinated by the spinning cylinder (pictured below). It resembles a Buddhist prayer wheel, but is much larger and taller than any I have seen before. The motif was appropriately designed for the garden surroundings. I especially liked the Black-Necked Crane and its reference to the Himalayan region. 

I also loved the color scheme of the piece from the sky above, through the mountains, and towards the leaves at the base - absolutely stunning. Spinning it provided an additional delight when watching the scenes as it seemingly came to life (checkout the video below):

After searching on the web for while, I eventually discovered the artist who created it, Chris Moench of Axis of Hope Prayer Wheels (http://www.axisofhope.net). After contacting Chris, he informed me that the prayer wheel had been installed in the garden about five years ago (about 2013). Chris' craftsmanship is remarkable and his website is worth visiting, especially if you are looking for a unique addition to your own garden environment. 

Shofu-En

The Denver Botanic Gardens in Colorado has a wonderful Japanese garden - Shofu-En, or the Garden of the Pine Winds. 

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.

Here are the photos: