The Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden was created by Kinzuchi Fujii between 1935 – 1940 for Charles and Ellamae Storrier Stearns. Fujii (1875 – 1957) designed and built Japanese landscapes across Southern California in the first half of the 20th century. The Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden (located in Pasadena, California) is his only remaining garden. It is also the only intact example of a major Japanese-style garden created before World War II for a residence in Southern California.
This pond-style stroll garden features a fifteen-foot waterfall and a formal teahouse on approximately two acres of land. The garden is considered by many to be a masterwork and it demonstrates the adaptability of Japanese culture in modern America. Under the direction of Dr. Takeo Uesugi, landscape architect, professor emeritus at Cal Poly Pomona and a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, The Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden was faithfully restored from 2007 – 2013.
According to the website: “Situated on the campus of CSU Long Beach, our 1.3 acre Hill and Pond Japanese-style garden was built through a generous donation from Mrs. Loraine Miller Collins in honor of her late husband Earl Burns Miller. Following three years of planning, and in collaboration with the University, Mrs. Miller Collins selected University master plan landscape architect and longtime friend Edward R. Lovell, ASLA to create its design. Construction began in the summer of 1980 and it was dedicated in the spring of 1981.
Several weeks ago my mother’s assisted living group made the trip to California State University Long Beach to visit the garden. Japanese gardens are popular in the Los Angeles area.
The Koi fish were looking pretty healthy. There were plenty of baby koi which is why I am sure the ducks were hanging around.
As with all Japanese gardens the idea is to create a place of peace and contemplation.
Of course, as usual, we were on a schedule as some of the folks had to get back for the ice cream social or some other activity. It’s a non-stop party at my mom’s assisted living home!!!
You can see the size of the babies compared to the big old grownup Koi at the bottom right.
This is a Chinese Flame Tree. Spectacular!
I probably shouldn’t point this out as perhaps it isn’t that noticeable but I have been attempting to get out of “auto” mode with my DSLR. I was fooling around with the exposure mode and all these photos came out with an incredibly high contrast. Really over-exposed in the sun and really under-exposed in the shade. I did my best to correct it in Photoshop but I need to figure out how to correct for that properly with the camera. It’s a slow slow learning process…
As this garden is on the campus there seemed to be plenty of students taking a break from their studies…. what better place than a Japanese garden?
This was our docent who led us around the garden.
This reminds me of the pebble beach in my hometown of Brighton, England!
Although this is a small garden there are many different viewpoints which create the illusion of a bigger area.
I love wooden bridges.
If you click on this link there is a map of all the trees in the garden and an inventory. A profile is kept on each tree indicating its species, health, and maintenance profile.
Love those reflections!
Zig zag bridges are often found in Japanese or Zen gardens. Some say it is because evil spirits can only walk in a straight line and therefore cannot cross the bridge. Others say it is to keep you mindful as you walk or you will crash into the railings. Whichever it is, they are aesthetically pleasing.
More Koi and their duck friend.
Can you see the duck with his head submerged in the water?
Just as we were leaving, this Great Blue Heron showed up. No doubt a little Koi delicacy was on his mind. But a good thing or the pond would be over-run with big fat Koi.
Please click on all the photos for a larger view.
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Last week my mother’s assisted living group made the 45-minute trip out there from Culver City. (Or about 40 miles (65 km) from downtown Los Angeles.)
Above is a photo of the main building that I took from the bus window. The roof doesn’t really curve like that, the photo is a composite of three photos that I put together in Photoshop, causing that effect.
We have been having some iffy weather lately and I was concerned that the day we picked was going to be overcast or windy. But as it turned out the weather gods were more than kind to us and it was a perfect day.
We started out with a picnic in a shady area. I always love a picnic.
After our tummies were full we were all ready for a walk around the gardens. These koi look well fed too.
The gardens consist of several distinct areas representing different world cultures. If you are looking for some peace and harmony in your life, the Japanese garden will do it.
The Italian garden looking toward the main building. There is nothing more relaxing than the sound of water falling. It also completely masks the sound of traffic merely a few feet away.
English Rose Garden and arbor. April is a good time to visit as although the roses are not at their peak, the landscaping and greenery is gorgeous any time of the year. And as summer draws nearer, the temperature can be several degrees higher than downtown Los Angeles.
Nature does a great job of pairing up contrasting colors and making that pallette work.
The walking trail is about 1/4 mile (400 m) looping around the different gardens so you get an up front and personal view of them all. The paths are handicapped friendly and if you plan it right you can avoid most of the uphill by going downhill instead!
A cool, shady place to rest or contemplate life for a while. It seems like a million miles away from the big city.
The French Garden with its waterfall. The landscaper took advantage of the slope of the land by including the two lovely water structures in the French and Italian gardens. I can’t decide which one I like best. They are both fabulous in their own way.
Looking towards the Mission Courtyard.
The Mission Courtyard pays homage to the 21 missions located throughout California. Paintings of the missions are displayed on the walls.
And it’s time to say farewell, adieu, ciao, sayonara to the Gardens of the World once again. But I am sure I will be back some day. Hopefully this little taste will entice you to visit as well.
Please click on all the photos for a larger view.
All photos and content copyright roslyn m wilkins. Please feel free to pass along this post via email or social media, but if you wish to use some of our images or text outside of the context of this blog, please check with us first for proper usage. Thanks!
RMW: the blog 