A Very Japanese Garden

My husband and I went back to the Japanese garden in Washington Park Arboretum. The last time we were in January the surrounding area was dead and sad looking. Today the sense of spring has brighten up the area in the warm gentle air. The garden designed by a Japanese is authentic with tranquility and landscape modeled on nature and it makes you feel as if in Japan. There are many familiar plants including mosses. Later I learned it was part of the designers' effort to represent scenes found in Japan.

Magnolias - still blooming after cherry blossoms.

It seems like a wild type of azalea. I've seen similar ones in mountains.

Here are interesting animal activities taking place in a peaceful Sunday afternoon. Synchronized swimming performance by ducks. 

Sun bathing turtles!

Some ferns sprouting. The swirls fascinates me.

A gnarled tree with branches looking like delicate fireworks. It turned out it was planted by then crown princess Michiko. It's still small after some fifty years.