The NAJGA Japanese Garden Podcast

We’re excited to announce a new NAJGA podcast episode featuring a special conversation with three NAJGA Presidents: Benjamin Chu (current president), Jeanette Schelin (past president), and Michelle Day-Miles (incoming president).In this thoughtful roundtable, our presidents reflect on their personal journeys with NAJGA and explore the organization’s evolving priorities—from governance and fundraising to community engagement and the future of NAJGA. Together, they share insights on accomplishments, challenges, and hopes for the next five years, offering a deeper understanding of how NAJGA is stewarding its mission forward.Whether you’re a longtime member or simply passionate about Japanese gardens, this episode offers an inspiring look at leadership, collaboration, and purpose.

Learn more about our guests and see pictures of Amache at: najga.org/amacheIn this special episode of the NAJGA podcast, hosts Jan Liverance and Marisa Rodriguez are joined by two remarkable guests—Dr. Bonnie Clark and Greg Kitajima—for a moving conversation about gardens, resilience, and the enduring legacy of Amache.Dr. Bonnie Clark is professor and curator for archaeology in the University of Denver’s Anthropology Department. Since 2005, her primary research focus has been the Amache Community Archeology Project, a collaborative endeavor committed to preserving, researching, and interpreting the tangible remains of Amache, the World War II Japanese American incarceration camp in Colorado. She is author of Finding Solace in the Soil, coeditor of Archaeological Landscapes on the High Plains, and coauthor of Denver: An Archaeological History.Greg Kitajima is an independent Certified Aesthetic Pruner based in Santa Barbara, and currently serves on the board of the Amache Alliance. He spent 14 years pruning and maintaining the Japanese Garden at Ganna Walska Lotusland, apprenticing for eight of those years under Frank Fujii—the garden’s original designer and caretaker for 45 years. In addition to his training at Lotusland, Greg has also studied Japanese gardens and pine pruning in Japan, and has trained with Dennis Makishima on the art of Aesthetic Pruning.Together, they paint a vivid picture of Amache’s landscape, past and present—sharing stories of discovery, reflection, and the power of place. From archaeological fieldwork to family narratives and garden traditions, this episode invites listeners to consider why the legacy of Amache still matters, and how we continue to carry these stories forward.

NAJGA Board Member & Director of Japan Institute at Portland Japanese Garden Aki Nakanishi, was recently in London. Listen to his powerful interview with Director Richard Deverell of Kew Gardens. Kew Gardens is the largest botanical institution in the world. This unscripted interview that took place during Aki’s informal visit to Director Deverell’s office at Kew, is an impactful statement of action, inspiring us to think differently about our own gardens as a vehicle for positive social change through public engagement and communication.

In this episode of the NAJGA podcast, Nick Esthus discusses climate change, sustainability and water conservation with Barrie Agar, Head Gardener Emeritus, Royal Roads University, Victoria, British Columbia, and Terri Clay, Horticultural Supervisor of the Japanese Garden at Lotusland, Santa Barbara, California.

In this podcast episode, host Shayna Price explores the world of Japanese dry gardens, or karesansui, with guest Heather Grzybek, the garden curator at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Florida. Heather shares her background and journey into Japanese garden design, highlighting the unique aspects of their contemporary take on a dry garden there. They discuss the challenges of maintaining dry gardens in the US, including the impact of weather, tools, and techniques for raking patterns, and the unconventional use of dry gardens for initiatives like Gardens for Peace. Heather emphasizes that the heart of dry gardens lies in simplicity, elegance, restriction, and the ability to provide a sense of peace and quiet in a chaotic world. To explore more Japanese garden insights, resources, and engage with the community, visit the NAJGA website at www.najga.org and follow us on social media. Membership will provide community and access to a wealth of knowledge in the world of Japanese garden design. Happy Japanese gardening!