The Brooklyn Botanic Japanese Hill and Pond Garden

I visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, located at 1000 Washington Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday, and took many photographs of the outstanding 52 acre grounds, which I'll be happy to share with you over a few future blog posts.  One of the prettiest areas is the Japanese Hill and Pond Garden, which is one of the oldest and most visited Japanese-inspired gardens outside Japan.

The Garden's Japanese flowering cherry collection contains over 200 trees of more than 30 species that bloom in succession during April. Brooklyn Botanic Garden is considered one of the best sites outside of Japan for viewing cherry blossoms.

The Torii, or gateway, indicates there is a Shinto shrine in the area dedicated to the god of the harvest, protector of plants.

The Japanese words on top read "Great Illuminating Deity"

Various landscape features are gradually revealed along winding paths in the garden.

Among the major architectural elements of the garden are wooden bridges and stone lanterns.

There are many turtles and colorful koi fish swimming in the pond.

The garden features artificial hills contoured around a pond, a waterfall, and an island with carefully placed rocks.

The cherry trees along the walkways were in full bloom and blossom petals were floating in the pond.

A small waterfall creates a pleasant and peaceful sound of running water.

The Japanese Hill and Pond Garden was the first Japanese garden to be created in an American public garden. It was designed by the Japanese landscape designer Takeo Shiota, and constructed between 1914 and 1915.

Turtles resting on the rocks.

Green Onion Bamboo growing along one section of the pond.

Japanese flowering cherries, which mark the beginning of spring and the season of Hanami, or flower viewing, and grace the shoreline of the pond.  The beautiful but fleeting blooms of these trees allude to the transitory nature of life. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden hosts a "Sakura Matsuri," on May 1 and 2, which will be a phenomenal weekend celebrating Japanese culture with over 60 events and performances. There will be both contemporary and traditional Japanese music and dance, taiko drumming, ikebana flower arranging, Japanese DJs, presentations on the art of manga, tea ceremonies, and workshops for all ages.

If you'd like to see more wonderful photos of the many beautiful cherry trees in bloom, as well as some of the other areas of the beautiful Brooklyn Botanic Garden, please visit my blog on Saturday, and to see more fabulous "Outdoor Wednesday" blog links, please visit A Southern Daydreamer blog today!