Japanese Heritage Garden

On June 13th, the Central Gorge Master Gardeners
hosted a dedication of the newly designed and created
Japanese Heritage Garden
located at the OSU
Extension Service in Hood River Valley.

Painting by Sandra Moreano

The following description is taken from the
OSU Central Gorge Master Gardeners' website.

Designed by Sadafumi Uchiyama, the recently-appointed curator of the Portland Japanese Garden, this beautiful garden was developed to honor the local Japanese Americans who, depsite their contributions to the community, were interned during World War II. The garden includes a variety of authentic Japanese garden components that complement the natural beauty of the area while providing a place of peaceful reflection.

The Master Gardeners contacted Tom last year to ask him to create a self-standing sculpture to recognize the project donors. Rita Saling and Sandy Rousseau, organizers of the garden project, met with Tom to discuss design ideas. The final design choice included a piece of fused glass by Linda Steider depicting a path (http://steiderstudios.wordpress.com/) and teak engraved with the names of the donors who
financially helped support the project.

Early this spring, Tom brought the completed piece to the garden and set it in place
with the help of Sandy and Rita.

On June 13th,  the garden was dedicated. Mitzi Asai Loftus spoke of her family's history in the Hood River Valley and the support of many non-Japanese families who helped them restart after World War II. A stunning performance by the Portland Taiko Drums delighted all of the guests.

The garden is a peaceful retreat.

The Central Gorge Master Gardeners did a beautiful job applying designer Uchiyama's concepts.

Sleeping with my koi pillows.

BOB