"From Everyday Life to Reflective Communion with Nature" in Glencoe
North Suburbs
About 20 miles north of Chicago's Loop, the suburb of Glencoe is home to one of the city's most popular destinations to get in touch with nature. The Chicago Horticultural Society broke ground on its public garden in 1965 and the Chicago Botanic Garden opened to the public in 1972. The Garden’s 385 acres stretch across nine islands with 27 distinct gardens and four natural areas. With more than 50,000 members, it has one of the largest memberships of any botanic garden in the United States, a testament to its importance to the surrounding communities.In 1975, Japanese American garden designer and landscape architect, Dr. Koichi Kawana, designed a Japanese Garden to be added to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Kawana called the new garden Sansho-En, Garden of the Three Islands (now called the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden). Garden director Roy Mecklenburg, Ph.D., explained the aim of the new space, stating, “Why are we developing a Japanese garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to develop English, French or Spanish Gardens? There are many delightful styles of garden design but the design of Japanese gardens is unique, enticing the visitor to see nature in a fresh and exciting manner, the primary purpose of the Botanic Garden.”
Kawana is also known for designing Seiwa-en at the Missouri Botanical Garden, Shofu-En at the Denver Botanic Garden, Seisui Tei at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and other parks in the United States. Kawana stated, “The purpose of a Japanese garden is to present natural forms and to create a tranquil beauty that leads the visitor from everyday life to a calm, serene, reflective communion with nature.”
The 17-acre Sansho-En is a place of serene beauty, designed for quiet contemplation and appreciating nature throughout the seasons. The first of the three islands of the Japanese Garden, Keiunto (Island of the Auspicious Cloud) connects to the southeast side of the main island by an arched wooden bridge. The Zigzag bridge leads visitors to the second island, Seifuto (Island of Clear, Pure Breezes). The third island, Horaijima (Island of Everlasting Happiness) is a place “inaccessible to mortals” and is not reachable on foot. The island represents paradise—in sight but elusive. It has no built structures and is intended to be viewed and contemplated only at a distance.
Located on Seifuto in the Mallott Japanese Garden is a dry garden, or karesansui. It is intended to create the image of islands and water through the use of sand, stone, and sparse plantings. Patterns raked into the gravel represent waves or ripples of water. Cool air blows across the lake and through the Arbor House, making it a haven for visitors on a hot summer day.
