Title
A Brief History of Rockford’s Anderson Japanese Gardens: Patterns in Nature that Inspire Japanese Garden Design
Abstract
In this talk, curator Tim Gruner presented the history of the Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois. He showed how conceptual drawings by a master gardener were brought to life by crews of workers over several years to create a contemplative space based on Zen principles and Japanese traditional design techniques.
Biography
Driven by a lifelong love of nature to a career in horticulture, Tim Gruner graduated from the Kishwaukee College Horticulture Program in 1987, followed by a one-year horticulture internship at Chicago Botanic Garden. Since 1989, Tim has worked and studied at Anderson Japanese Gardens, where he is currently Garden Curator, under the direction of Mr. Hoichi Kurisu, of Kurisu International. Tim is a frequent contributor to Sukiya Living Magazine and has presented at national and regional conferences for the North American Japanese Garden Association, of which he is a member of the board of directors.