Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park opened in April 1995 in Grand Rapids, MI. Since then, the gardens have expanded and the sculptures have increased to 158 acres and nearly 300 sculptures. In June 2015, an 8-acre Japanese garden was installed that includes a stand of cherry trees.
I’ve walked the Japanese garden several times since June 2015 but never when the cherry trees were blossoming. Last year was to be my first time. The pandemic closed the park and quashed the plan.
The park is open again. I’ll be protected against Covid-19 by May 1, and cherry-blossoms will bloom some weeks after.
Promises live here,
under your bright open arms —
soft, fragrant blessings.
I’m including a couple of videos about the garden. The first one is with Hoichi Kurisu, the designer of the garden. The second one has two of the stewards talking about it but also has several nice shots of the park (including the cherry trees!)
Frank J. Tassone is today’s host of dVerse‘ Haibun Monday. Frank says:
Let us keep in mind that there are three kigo for Cherry Blossoms: hatsu hana (first bloom), sakura (peak bloom), and osozakura (late bloom). I leave it to you to address whichever stage you wish. That said, let’s write haibun that allude to Cherry Blossoms.
Tao Talk 
Love especially that hopeful note in the haiku.
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Thanks much, Lucy 🙂
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So lovely Lisa! Thanks for sharing the videos.
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You’re welcome. I’ve got May 1 marked for my first walk through the gardens. Can’t wait.
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How exciting! Something to look forward to. My next big thing is a professional haircut on 4/16- two weeks after my 2nd vaccine. It’s been over a year. 🙂
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YAY for You! Happy to hear it 🙂
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I had never heard of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Lisa, and found your haibun informative and interesting, and very beautiful. You’re so lucky to e able to visit them, but what a shame you’ve had to wait to see the cherries blossoming – something to look forward to. Thank you for sharing the videos. What a coincidence that we both have promises in our haiku!
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Thank you very much, Kim. Yes it is a nice coincidence, the promises. It’s my good luck to live close enough to drive to the gardens.
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A lovely haibun Lisa. Here’s hoping you get to see those cherry blossoms this year!
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Thanks, Ingrid and I do too!
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I would love to get that vaccine so we can see the cherry blossoms… but there is the next year.
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Bjorn they will be all the sweeter next year.
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I so enjoyed the video. Enjoy your walk in the gardens when the cherry trees are blooming!
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Beverly I loved both of those videos also. Thank you I can’t wait!
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Loved the hope in this. Something we all need right now. Hope you get to enjoy the blossoms this year.
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Glad you enjoyed the hope in the poem, Helene, and ditto 🙂
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How lovely. that is good news
Happy Monday
much love…
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Yes it is! Thanks and Happy Monday, Gillena!
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What a wonderful park to visit! I love the inviting, hopeful sentiment in your haiku! Thanks, again, for opening the pub for me!
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It’s one of my favorite places to visit. I like the botanic gardens in Chicago also but a little too far to visit often. You’re very welcome, Frank. Glad to be able to help.
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Lovely haiku to wrap of the piece. Beautiful.
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Maria, many thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
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Thank you for sharing your experiences and these wonderful videos.
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My pleasure, K 🙂
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Wonderful post Lisa. Sounds like a beautiful park! Well written haibun my friend…
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Thanks, Rob. The main $$ behind the Japanese Garden is the DeVos family (connected to our former Sec of Education Betsy DeVos) and they spared no expense on it. I can’t even imagine how much just the boulders they brought in costed. Glad you enjoyed the haibun.
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Beautiful poem and post.
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Thank you, Sadje 🙂
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You’re welcome 😉
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I hope you get your wish. Maybe next year I’ll get to the Japanese garden at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Always a treat, even without cherry blossoms. (K)
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Thanks, K. I just renewed my membership (son got it for me as a gift last year) which gives me a ticket into a bunch of gardens across the country. So glad you have BBG near you! Maybe you can go this summer….
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I have to be ready to take the subway again. Not sure when that will be–when we’re close to herd immunity?
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Cheers to May 1! Be sure to take your camera! I’ve seen the blossoms in DC & they are magical. Love your haiku, Lisa. I also appreciate watching the videos of folks who obviously love Nature so much & want to share Her with others. Thank you for this post! 🌞
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You are very welcome, Lisa. I watched those videos again last night and agree these two are passionate about the garden. If I see them there I’m going to say hi 🙂 About DC, I just read that there is a bloomcam set up to see them and so checked it out. It’s pretty danged cool. Would love to go there and see them sometime.
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A bloomcam! Who knew?! 🌞
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I would love walking through that park.
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It’s a true joy to walk through it. Like the designer said, every step you take gives you another photo op. Hard to imagine how much it must have cost to put it all together from scratch.
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Is this the same garden you walked through a couple of years ago with all of the flowers?
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One time was a garden tour of local homes. I’ve been to this garden many times. Took pictures all times.
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Are you thinking of the Peony Garden in Ann Arbor? No, this is in Grand Rapids.
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I think so! That name is familiar!
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