Phoenix, AZ - Ikebana at Japanese Gardens

The Japanese Friendship Gardens held the 7th Annual Ikebana Exhibit in January 2019.  The Gardens are beautiful and serene, in the middle of Phoenix.  And the Ikebana Exhibit had a wide variety of styles.  I spoke to two little sisters and they showed me their Ikebana that they learned to make.

Here are my photographs of a few of the Ikebana flower displays, a feel of the beauty of the garden, and my friends the koi fish.  I had to really work to get food to them and away from the lightening quick ducks!

My favorites were the BBQ Grill and the Embroidery Hoops.

Link to Japanese Friendship Gardens
Link to Exhibit Information

Phoenix - Japanese Friendship Garden Ro Ho En

The Japanese Friendship Garden in Phoenix is another one of these "best kept secrets". This information is on their website to explain the name of the garden:

The name – Ro Ho En is a combination of three Japanese words. Ro means Heron, a bird symbol of Himeji City. Shira Sagi Jou, or the White Heron, is a 300-year-old medieval castle in Himeji. Ho is the Japanese word for the city of mythical Phoenix bird. En means garden.

We enjoyed a guided tour through the garden and then tea at the Tea House. The tea ceremonies are held once a month on a Saturday, reservations required.  I was thrilled that we had "matcha", because I have that type of tea and get lumps! I asked about it and the answer was given. I will no longer have lumpy matcha tea. Yea!

The name of the garden hangs over the entrance.