Plants in the Garden
It will take five-seven years for the plantings in the garden to mature and accomplish their intended purposes, including creating visual barriers resulting in separate experiences on journeys through the garden. These are similar to divisions in a Bento Box or a tackle box, which allow the visitor to appreciate each area without their senses becoming overwhelmed by viewing the garden in its entirety all at once.
The garden flora includes 40 plus varieties of plants. These include flowers, flowering shrubs, grasses, trees, moss, and water plants.
Flowering Shrubs
Flowering shrubs help create a beautiful garden design and dramatic presentation.
- Peonies
- Hostas
- Japanese quince
- Azaleas
- Rhododendrons
- Viburnum
- Kerria
- American burning bush
- Pieris japonica (also known as the lily of the valley.
Grasses
Grasses help fill in a garden and create interesting colors and movements on the ground.
- Dwarf Greenstripe Bamboo is a gold/cream variegated variety. This grass was transplanted there after being harvested from Zoo grounds near the hippopotamus exhibit.
- Japanese comb grass has a lime-green coloration.
- Liriope actually bloom with small lavender flowers in late summer.
- Horsetail is an ancient, tube-shaped variety of grass with strong vertical lines.
Trees
The Kay McFarland Japanese Garden is full of a variety of unique and beautiful species of trees that take you to new heights of tranquility and peace. The trees in the garden include Cherry Trees, Japanese Maples, Evergreens, Dogwoods, Magnolias, and Camillia Stewartia. Each species of tree has multiple varieties that have unique shapes and characteristics.
- Cherry Trees – There are three varieties (species) in the garden:
- Snow Fountain
- Kwansan
- Yoshino
- Japanese Maples – There are multiple varieties (species) including:
- 3 weeping
- 4 uprights
- Japanese white
- Japanese red
- Evergreens – There are multiple varieties (species) including:
- Conifers
- Cedars
- Junipers
- Golden hinokia
- Mugho
- Dogwoods
- Magnolias
- Camillia Stewartia
