Object Details
- General
- The owners refer to their garden as "Japanese Fusion", meaning the application of Japanese landscape design principles on a property in the Pacific northwest. Their lakefront location and view of Mount Rainer provide two important Japanese garden elements, water and mountains. The property comprises just over one acre and is roughly rectangular with a "handle" to Lake Washington. The garden, first installed in 2009, is curvilinear surrounding the house with layers of colors and textures. The Japanese term Shinka Suru translates to unfolding which incorporates an empathic response to nature and location. This includes acknowledgment and expression of the seasons with a dwarf crab apple that berries in winter. Cloud pruning is another technique employed as a visual expression of the sky on earth. Structure is achieved through the selection and placement of stones and boulders which provide elevation, irregularity, texture, and viewing platforms. Two other hardscape features are meaningful in this garden. A moon gate in a side garden separates two symbolically different planting schemes. One approaches the moon gate under a canopy of golden bamboo that feels protective and emerges in the "mountains and water" symbolized by moss covered boulders that lead to an arc of white birch. The other structure is an asymmetrical bridge over two ponds that leads to the front door with a hidden fountain adding the sound of water. Japanese millstones are giant steppingstones in grass. There are more than 200 different trees, shrubs, ferns, perennials and herbs in the design including 52 different varieties of rhododendrons and azaleas. The plant selection near the sandy shoreline is limited by the county but blueberries are allowed and are grown there. In 2013 a vegetable garden was installed in custom designed nonlinear Cor-ten steel raised beds that are visually impactful as well as practical. Persons associated with the garden's design: Terry Welch, landscape architect (2008); Cameron Scott, landscape architect for update of vegetable garden (2013).
- Owner
- Reed, William G., Jr.
- Reed, Victoria
- Photographer
- Rosen, Jo Anne
- Turner, Mary M.
- Reed, William G., Jr.
- Landscape architect
- Welch, Terry
- Scott, Cameron
- Provenance
- Seattle Garden Club
- Collection Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Place
- United States of America -- Washington -- King County -- Seattle
- Reed Garden - Shinka Suru (Seattle, Washington)
- Topic
- Gardens -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Gardens, Japanese
- Landscape gardening
- Owner
- Reed, William G., Jr.
- Reed, Victoria
- Photographer
- Rosen, Jo Anne
- Turner, Mary M.
- Reed, William G., Jr.
- Landscape architect
- Welch, Terry
- Scott, Cameron
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Gardens / Washington
- Sponsor
- A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
- Custodial History
- The Seattle Garden Club facilitated the submission of this garden's documentation in 2023.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA, File WA065
- Type
- Archival materials
- Collection Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
- Collection Rights
- Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Scope and Contents
- 11 digital images (2014-2016, 2022) and 1 folder (digital).
- Collection Restrictions
- Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Record ID
- ebl-1690297503680-1690301401227-0
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