John P. Humes Japanese Stroll Garden
Encyclopedia
The John P. Humes Japanese Stroll Garden is a 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) Japanese garden
in Mill Neck, New York
, providing a retreat for passive recreation and contemplation.
The garden was begun in 1960 for Ambassador and Mrs. John P. Humes upon their return from Japan
, and built over the next four years. In 1980 it was donated to the Wild Life Sanctuary, and opened to the public in 1987. In 1993 the Garden Conservancy
assumed management of the garden.
The garden is built on steeply sloping terrain, and aims to invoke the sensation of a remote mountain village. It contains a lake, and tea house in the shoin-dzukuri style of the Ashikaga
period, brought from Japan by Ambassador Humes.
Moving through the garden, where the views, textures and balance of elements have been planned following Japanese aesthetic principles, visitors experience a walking meditation inducing inner peace. Stepping stones are used to control the rate at which one moves through the garden, encouraging moment-to-moment reflection. The garden suggests a hillside landscape beside the sea, where gravel paths represent streams that form pools and cascades, eventually flowing into the ocean represented by a pond.
Of special interest in the garden are the tea house, tea garden, stone lantern
s, mosses, waterfall, pond, and a collection of related North American and Asian plants.
The Humes Japanese Stroll Garden is operated by the Garden Conservancy
through an agreement with the Humes Japanese Garden Foundation, which owns the property.
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
in Mill Neck, New York
Mill Neck, New York
Mill Neck is a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 997 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Mill Neck is located at .The highest point of Mill Neck is Mill Hill....
, providing a retreat for passive recreation and contemplation.
The garden was begun in 1960 for Ambassador and Mrs. John P. Humes upon their return from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and built over the next four years. In 1980 it was donated to the Wild Life Sanctuary, and opened to the public in 1987. In 1993 the Garden Conservancy
Garden Conservancy
The Garden Conservancy is an American nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving exceptional gardens and landscapes.Founded in 1989 by Frank Cabot, the Conservancy has since helped a number of American gardens to develop preservation strategies, organizational structures, and funding plans...
assumed management of the garden.
The garden is built on steeply sloping terrain, and aims to invoke the sensation of a remote mountain village. It contains a lake, and tea house in the shoin-dzukuri style of the Ashikaga
Ashikaga shogunate
The , also known as the , was a Japanese feudal military regime, ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga clan.This period is also known as the Muromachi period and gets its name from Muromachi Street of Kyoto where the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu established his residence...
period, brought from Japan by Ambassador Humes.
Moving through the garden, where the views, textures and balance of elements have been planned following Japanese aesthetic principles, visitors experience a walking meditation inducing inner peace. Stepping stones are used to control the rate at which one moves through the garden, encouraging moment-to-moment reflection. The garden suggests a hillside landscape beside the sea, where gravel paths represent streams that form pools and cascades, eventually flowing into the ocean represented by a pond.
Of special interest in the garden are the tea house, tea garden, stone lantern
Tōrō
A "灯篭" is just a simplified form of "灯籠". is a Japanese lantern made of stone, wood, or metal traditional in the Far East. In China extant specimen are very rare, and in Korea too they are not as common as in Japan. In Japan, tōrō were originally used only in Buddhist temples, where they lined and...
s, mosses, waterfall, pond, and a collection of related North American and Asian plants.
The Humes Japanese Stroll Garden is operated by the Garden Conservancy
Garden Conservancy
The Garden Conservancy is an American nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving exceptional gardens and landscapes.Founded in 1989 by Frank Cabot, the Conservancy has since helped a number of American gardens to develop preservation strategies, organizational structures, and funding plans...
through an agreement with the Humes Japanese Garden Foundation, which owns the property.