There may be no more serene place in Champaign-Urbana than Japan House, whose gardens are as fascinating as they are calming. Just in time for summer, they’ve rolled out their new mobile garden guide, which offers a self-guided tour narrated by gardener Jim Bier, to make your experience more informative, educational or fun.
For more info on the project, check out the press release from Japan House below:
We are thrilled to announce our new garden guide for your cell phone. No need to download an app—-just go to our website on your cell phone and click the MOBILE GUIDE link on the bottom right. Then hit VIEW GUIDE and you are on your way to a self guided tour narrated by our beloved gardener, 88 year old Jim Bier!
A garden tour any time you want…right in the peace and beauty of the Japan House Lorene and James Bier Gardens.
You will also find a lengthy interview with Jim (video coming soon) in which he answers questions ranging from brutal Illinois winters to his favorite parts of the garden. Then just tap VIEW VEGETATION INFO and you’ll have detailed maps for the dry and tea gardens with specific plant info including latin names and the species origin.
Thanks to our intrepid Japan House Interns for making this happen. Kudos go to interns Anna Piazza, Alexis Pokorney, Stephen Salerno, Hana Yaginuma and our Program Coordinator Debbie Kim. Most of all, of course, our humble thanks go to Jim Bier!