Fort Worth's Japanese Garden (A Photo Essay)

I have lived near Fort Worth, Texas, for many years. Though I have been to the Botanical Garden many times, I have never been inside the Japanese Garden. It is especially beautiful in the fall, with the trees turning, and the smell of fall-flowering bushes wafting through the air.

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The Garden has a dramatic 5-level Pagoda Tower near the entrance. It's surrounded by boxwood, and is a remarkable showpiece.

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Many smaller sculptures are found in smaller nooks and contemplative gardens throughout.

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� This beautiful little place looks out over a large koi pond, filled with fish and turtles.

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The fish are well-cared for, and you can see their size - some of them were well over three feet long. The young visitor was hand-feedig her favorite fish. She said his name was "dragon" because of his long whiskers.

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The garden also has formal contemplative spaces, where you can enjoy serenity, with stones, fences, and entirely man-made vistas.

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Of course, no Japanese Garden would be complete without a rock garden. This one is particularly pretty this time of year, with the leaves fluttering down from the trees to rest in the sand.

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� I'm ashamed of myself for not visiting this quiet little jewel in the heart of Fort Worth.�  I will be certain to come back every season to watch the mastery of the garden as it changes with the year.