Australian plant themed Japanese style garden unveiled

Sunshine Coast Council invites the community to enjoy the official opening of the unique, symbolic Japanese Tea Garden at the Maroochy Bushland Botanic Garden on Monday 13 August at 10am.

Thirty Japanese students will join Division 5 Councillor Jenny McKay and the Friends of the Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden (MRBBG) to participate in the celebration.

Cr McKay said the new Japanese style gardens were designed in recognition of the long standing relationship between the Sunshine Coast region and our Japanese Sister city(s).

"The Japanese themed garden courtyard has been created using the essence of a Soto Roji - outer tea garden - to honour the friendship that exists between our sister city Tatabayashi and the Sunshine Coast community," she said.

"The Soto Roji is intended to lead the visitor on a journey away from the mundane world to a quiet and serene place.

"Special elements include stepping stones, a water basin for symbolic cleansing, a waiting seat and a light to guide the visitor.

"The Japanese garden was designed and built in partnership with council and the MRBBG, and continues to add yet another experience for visitors to the Botanic Gardens.

"It has been our long term goal to create a small Australian plant themed Japanese style garden. The plants we have chosen are all local natives that display some of the characteristics that their Japanese counterparts would have.

"While this is not a genuine Japanese garden it is a genuine and heartfelt tribute to the friendship and understanding that has been fostered between these two different cultures."

Cr McKay said it had been 10 years since the official opening of the Maroochy Bushland Botanic Garden and this had been a year of significant milestones.

"In August last year we officially opened the new Maroochy Arts and Ecology Centre at the Botanic Gardens," she said.

"Since the opening of the Centre a number of successful holiday based programs have been held there including the most recent successful 2012 Treeline program."

The Botanic Gardens are set around the Centre that has been designed with sustainability principles.

The landscaped gardens around the building represent a number of themes based on the four elements of water, fire, earth and wind.