Goodbye for Now! Winter Closure in 2020
By Jessa Gardner
Frozen pond 2018, photo courtesy of Rumi Tsuchihashi
Why is it that the Seattle Japanese Garden closes every winter? Japanese garden lovers may know that Japanese gardens are meant to be enjoyed every season of the year. The beauty of a garden transforms through the seasons from bright spring blossoms to lush summer green; from deep red of autumn into the carefully-pruned bare branches of winter.
It's true that our garden has a certain shivery appeal even in the freezing drizzle of a Seattle December! However the garden closes every year in November and reopens in March, a cycle that we celebrate with our First Viewing event, featuring a Shinto blessing ceremony by Reverend Koichi Barrish from the Grand Tsubaki Shrine of America.
The primary reason that the garden closes in winter is for safety. There are many special features that make our garden a Japanese garden. The traditional wooden bridges across the pond have low railings, and stepping stone crossings bisect paths all through the garden. When these stone paths and wooden bridges become wet and icy it makes the garden dangerous to navigate!
Snowed-over pathways, photo courtesy of Pete Putnicki
The second reason that the garden closes in winter is so that our horticultural team can take care of major projects to keep the garden in good health. Over the past several years we've reported on various winter project highlights in this blog. The work our maintenance team does to care for the garden is awe inspiring –they even move heavy stone without construction equipment.
In 2020 the Seattle Japanese Garden is closing on November 15th, not due to coronavirus but instead so our staff gardeners can get a head start on an important maintenance project. In winter of 2018 we completed the first half of our pond renovation project, clearing silt and debris out of the northern section of the koi pond. This winter we are completing this planned maintenance by clearing the southern half of the pond. Keep an eye on our blog and social media for updates on this project!
On behalf of the entire staff of the garden, we hope you have a wonderful and safe winter. We look forward to welcoming you back in spring of 2021, with beautiful flowers and happy koi swimming in clear waters.