Clark Bonsai Collection

Welcome!

The goal of these, “Shinzen Friendship Garden and Clark Bonsai Collection Education Modules” is to make it possible for 3rd-12th grade students to continue to benefit from our programs. The modules are video and audio formats with supporting PDF e-documents. While our program will be geared towards 3rd-12th grade teachers and students, we have designed them so that the general public can also access this media.

If you would like to view more educational videos about the art of bonsai and the Clark Collection, go to the Clark Bonsai Collection Channel on YouTube

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AN OUTDOOR MUSEUM

Bonsai, the art of creating and maintaining miniature trees in pots has an aura of mystery surrounding it.

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THE PEACE TREE BONSAI

This “Peace Tree” bonsai was created from saplings that were grown from seeds collected from trees that had survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb.

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YAMADORI

Yamadori is a Japanese term that is literally translated as mountain dug bonsai. As it is applied to the art of bonsai it means native plants that have been collected from the wild and used to create a bonsai.

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HOW OLD IS IT?

Out of the many interesting aspects regarding the art of bonsai, the subject of age seems to attract the most attention.

 

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DESIGN CONCEPTS

Shinzen Friendship Garden’s main organizing theme is of the Four Seasons, where each season is represented by a seasonal garden, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

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1939 LANTERN

The granite lantern was given to the City of Fresno by the Japanese Young Men’s Association League in 1939. It was hand-carved, originally 11 feet high and weighed 3 tons.

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THE KOI POND

The koi are a significant part of our garden’s representation of a living museum. The fancy coloration of koi carp appeared when rice farmers first began breeding them for their colors and patterns.

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TORO NAGASHI CEREMONY

The Toro Nagashi ceremony is held after the Obon season, a three-day Buddhist festival held to celebrate the beginning of the harvest where it is believed that the spirits of those who have passed are invited, for a short time, to return home.