Shadow Play

Time for another gallery of light and shadows, to celebrate shadow play on outside and inside surfaces. In Elements of the Chinese Garden, we learned that walls are an important element of Chinese gardens for capturing shadows and displaying poetry. In this collection, walls are not the only element for capturing shadows. Containers, garden hardscape, ground surfaces, brick walls, and broken terra cotta pots also serve the purpose. Enjoy this latest gallery of shadow play from everyday life.

Japanese maple leaves and shadows

Foliage shadows on white support beam

Light and shadow from woven wooden blinds

Japanese maple leaves detail

Light and shadow in the side yard

Cherry tomatoes and leaves shadow

Lacy leaves

Oak tree shadow on the patio

Dappled shadow on the concrete path

Light and shadow on brick and terra cotta

Shadow Play

Back with another gallery of shadow and light. I'm always on the lookout for interesting shadow play, whether on an outside garden wall, an inside wall with a garden projection, or an interesting architectural pattern almost anywhere. This taps into what we learned in Elements of the Chinese Garden, where walls are an important element of Chinese gardens for capturing shadows and displaying poetry. Enjoy this latest gallery of shadow play from everyday life.

Deck chair shadow

Wind chime shadow

Leaf and mini-blind shadow

Bouquet of shadow flowers

Light and shade with mini-blinds

Light and shade with sun shades

Holey hat shadow

Tunnel of light and shadows

Lacey leaf shadows

Mini-blind shrub shadows

Shadow Play

Back with another gallery of shadows (and sometimes golden light). I'm always on the lookout for interesting shadow play, whether on an outside garden wall, an inside wall with a garden projection, or an interesting architectural pattern almost anywhere. This taps into what we learned in Elements of the Chinese Garden that walls are an important element of Chinese gardens for capturing shadows and displaying poetry. Enjoy this latest gallery of shadow play from everyday life.

Leaves as shadow and leaves illuminated

Plants and mini blinds on the wall

Leaves captured on a kitchen cabinet

Plants brought inside in a pool of light

Creature of the night

Architectural patterns of light and dark

Tiny shaft of light

X-ray of ribs or plants and mini blinds?

Morning light cast through the mini blinds

Japanese maple projection

Shadow and light cast on an inside wall

Many of these photos show shadows from the garden that are cast inside the house and others capture or incorporate patterns from the mini blinds. For more shadow fun see Shadow Play from last year. Shadow as art form!

Shadow Play

In Elements of the Chinese Gardens we learned that walls are an important element of Chinese gardens for capturing shadows and displaying poetry. I'm always on the lookout for good shadow play, whether on an outside garden wall, an inside wall with a garden projection, or an interesting architectural pattern almost anywhere. Enjoy this gallery of shadow play from everyday life.

Blinds cast a shadow on a notebook

Blinds and plants blur together

The the old Chinese Elm casts a shadow

An outside garden scene projected into a dark stairwell

Architectural pattern in a parking garage

Blinds are fascinating

Architectural shadows from a large skylight

Another outside garden scene projected into the stairwell

Wooden art models at play

Shadows and vines in the fall

Shadow as art form!

Chinese Garden at The Huntington

The second garden I visited at The Huntington was the Garden of Flowing Fragrance. Chinese gardens are a combination of elements including buildings, water, rocks, plants, and the arts. Calligraphy and poetry appear throughout the garden, evoking beautiful imagery and stirring the imagination. The garden at The Huntington was developed in collaboration with architects and artisans from Suzhou in Southern China. The garden is patterned after the scholar style, with space for study, contemplation, and the arts.

The arch of fragrant cherry blossoms softens the fierce lion sentries

Round portal in the Wall of the Colorful Clouds leads to the Plantain Court

The Pavilion for Washing Away Thoughts provides a small shelter between the Japanese and Chinese gardens at The Huntington. Here you can cleanse your mind from the rush of daily life, while protected from the elements in a beautiful natural location. The pavilion was recently re-thatched using traditional Chinese methods.

The Pavillion for Washing Away Thoughts

Detailed view of the new thatched roof

The Garden of Flowing Fragrance is one of the largest classical-style Chinese gardens outside of China, combining the southern Chinese garden style with the Huntington's love of plants. The garden was started in 1999 with a generous donor gift, and opened to the public in 2008. See the map for a tour of the garden.

The Plantain Court

Unique window with a view beyond the wall

The garden has undergone an expansion, adding a restaurant, scholar study, library, art gallery, and star gazing tower on the hill. The expansion increases the garden footprint from 3.5 to 12 acres. The grand opening is on track for May 2020.

Pond of Reflected Greenery

The Jade Ribbon Bridge

The Waveless Boat

I was so glad for my whirlwind tour of the Chinese garden, and a chance to experience more examples of the classical style. Next time I hope to linger longer, and explore the new additions.

Pavilion with a rock from Lake Tai in China

We've visited several Chinese gardens over the years including:

• Seattle Chinese Garden (Seattle, WA)
• Lan Su Chinese Garden (Portland, OR)
• Overfelt Chinese Cultural Garden (San Jose, CA)

To learn more see Garden History – Chinese Gardens, and Elements of the Chinese Garden.