Japanese garden

The idea of the Anderson Japanese Gardens began in 1966 during John Anderson’s first trip to Japan. He was visiting family friend, Mr. Akira Ohno, President of Morinaga Milk Industries of Tokyo. Ohno gave Anderson an inside look at the Japanese people and their culture. When John and Linda Anderson acquired land for a new home in Rockford Illinois, they realized that their new property could potentially be a wonderful setting for a Japanese garden. Since the Andersons already had a strong interest in Japanese culture, they decided to start development of a Japanese-style garden.

shades of green

The Anderson Japanese Garden is characterized by three essential elements:

-Water has soothing and reflective qualities.
-Rock provides a solid sense of permanence
-Plants are essential for their textures and shades of green.

designs of gardens

The Garden of Reflection at the Anderson Japanese Gardens is representative of a more contemporary international garden. You will find a strong Japanese influence in these gardens, which were designed to allow visitors to reflect upon the tranquil beauty of nature.

garden models

The Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford Illinois is a perfect place to find tranquility on your Illinois vacation. They are unique in that they are composed of two distinctly different types of gardens. The first is a formal Japanese garden that is designed in the style of the Kamakura period, a style that was prevalent from about 1185 to 1333 A.D. In comaparison, the Guest House, Teahouse, and Machiai at the Anderson Japanese Gardens are all fine examples of 16th century Sukiya style architecture.