 THE WOODLANDS, TX – (November 16, 2009) – Koi Garden, an Asian-inspired garden and koi pond located on the south side of The Woodlands Waterway®, is now open to the public from dawn until dusk daily. The garden was created on and around two “tear-drop” shaped islands in The Waterway that are linked to the banks of The Waterway by pedestrian bridges. The garden was designed to be a place for quiet contemplation and meditation, where visitors can reconnect with nature, according to Alex Sutton, president of The Woodlands Development Company.
The koi pond is one of the largest of its kind outside of public arboreta or gardens. A variety of distinctive materials and exotic plantings enhance Koi Garden, along with a 60,000-gallon koi pond that is separated from The Waterway by dams. Designed by SLA Studio Land and constructed by Millis Construction, the Koi Garden is secluded from a pedestrian walkway along The Waterway by walls, fences and timber bamboo, native to Asia. The koi pond was designed in collaboration with Laguna Koi Ponds of Laguna Beach, California, using bio-filtration methods for fish health and water clarity.
A two-sided galvanized steel arbor marks the entry to Koi Garden off Waterway Court. Two ancient proverbs are carved into the arbor – “Enough Pails of Water….A River” on the south side, and “The Journey is the Reward” on the north side.
According to David Smith, principal of SLA Studio Land, there are common elements in the garden’s design that represent several Asian cultures. “Those elements include water, which is typically “Yin” or female, rock with is typically “Yang” or male, and plant materials expressive of the seasonal changes and the cycle of life. Common to many Asian gardens is the inclusion of islands and bridges designed to emphasize the act of “crossing over between states of consciousness or ‘worlds’”, Smith said. Koi Garden on The Woodlands Waterway includes two bridges that provide scenic connectors between the land and water elements.
The positioning of these elements provides different visual emphasis from various points in the garden. This experience is enhanced by a wide variety of hardscape materials, including granite, slate, pebbles, limestone and metal in a selection of interesting colors and textures. Flowering and semi-aquatic plants such as Formosa azaleas, camellia Japonica and Sasanqua, canna, Louisiana irises in a variety of colors, powdery-leafed thalia, pickerel rush, and eight different varieties of water lilies add to the seasonal color in the garden. Dwarf and timber bamboo, spike rushes, grasses and variegated celery are among the bog plants that help purify the koi pond as well as add to the beauty of the garden.
The koi in the pond are Japanese imports selectively bred for their brilliant colors and appealing patterns. There are 33 adult koi and about a dozen baby koi in seven different varieties currently living in the pond. The koi pond is maintained by Brett Rowley of Brett’s Fish Farm, fisheries biologist.
The Woodlands is a 28,000-acre master-planned community located 27 miles north of downtown Houston. It is a project of The Woodlands Development Company, a limited partnership of Morgan Stanley and General Growth Properties, Inc.
Photo caption: The koi in the Koi Garden on The Woodlands Waterway®. |
