Shore Garden Club Takes a Field Trip
On a glorious Tuesday in September, the energetic members of the Shore Garden Club of Neponsit and Belle Harbor gathered at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden where they were treated to a fabulous tour of this iconic Brooklyn oasis! Led by fellow members, master gardeners Marge McCarthy and Linda Kelly, who are docents at this special world, each comfortably clad member meandered through this tranquil space.
This incredible and often visited section of the garden is one of the oldest and most visited Japanese public gardens outside of Japan. It was originally constructed between 1914 and 1915, and eventually restored in the 1940s by Okamura. The Hill-and-Pond Garden was the first Japanese garden to be built inside a public garden in the United States. The attentive group listened carefully and with great interest as Marge and Linda described how Japanese gardens mirror nature. They pointed out so many interesting facts, including but not limited to, how Shiota, its creator, aimed to mimic Japan’s mountainous landscape and rocky coastline.
The garden is the home to an authentic Shinto shrine, a koi pond and stony shoreline. Our knowledgeable docents noted that important portions of the gardens are purposely hidden, so visitors are gently guided to turn corners and walk around gentle hills and gorgeous trees to enjoy the rest of the garden … which is exactly what the Shore Garden Club members did.
While it’s visited most often in springtime during the famed cherry blossom season, gathering there in late summer/early fall is particularly stunning. After the terrific tour, the members enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Yellow Magnolia Café where they relaxed and chatted about their shared experience and phenomenal photos. Readers are encouraged to visit this peaceful place and, if interested, join this fantastic club!
