WORLD GARDEN SET FOR THOUSAND OAKS.Byline: Cecilia Chan Staff Writer Visitors will be able to stroll through a tranquil Japanese garden Japanese gardens (Kanji 日本庭園, nihon teien), that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, at Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines, and at historical landmarks such as old castles. or enjoy the scent of roses in a traditional English garden The term English garden or English park (French: Jardin anglais, Italian: Giardino all'inglese, German: Englischer Landschaftspark when four acres across from City Hall are transformed into a botanic wonderland called ``Gardens of the World.'' The nonprofit Hogan Family Foundation unveiled preliminary plans Tuesday for the vacant site, where many plans have been considered but none before have flourished. ``We looked at something we felt was sorely needed in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. ,'' said Edward J. Hogan Edward J. Hogan (December 10, 1897 – March 24, 1976) was a track and field standout at the University of Notre Dame in the early 1920s, under legendary coach Knute Rockne. He placed in numerous track and field events and reportedly trained for the 1924 Olympics. , chairman of the foundation, during a news conference. ``It's an educational experience especially for children and getting the young people to appreciate nature and the ecology and the respect for the planet.'' The foundation plans to develop volunteer and educational programs that would also help teach about other cultures around the world, he said. Although schoolchildren schoolchildren school npl → écoliers mpl; (at secondary school) → collégiens mpl; lycéens mpl schoolchildren school will benefit from the project, so too will residents who live in apartments without gardens, Hogan said. At Gardens of the World, they would be able to stretch out and read a book or paint. Preliminary plans show Japanese, Italian, French and English gardens. The proposal also includes a Mission Garden, featuring miniatures of California's 21 missions, a Victorian-style bandstand, a resource center and a picnic area. A tree-lined fitness trail also is envisioned - something 72-year-old Hogan said he appreciated after having recent quadruple bypass surgery Bypass surgery A surgical procedure that grafts blood vessels onto arteries to reroute the blood flow around blockages in the arteries (arteriosclerosis). . ``We are ready to move as soon as the plans are approved by the city,'' Hogan said. ``We have a formal meeting with them later.'' The foundation already has demolished the Thousand Oaks Lumber Yard lumber yard n (US) → almacén m de madera lumber yard n → entrepôt m de bois lumber yard n and Yukon Belle tavern that were formerly on the site. It's anticipated, once the plans are approved, that it would take six to nine months to build the $5 million project, Hogan said. ``We are not asking the city for funds,'' he said. ``We are keeping it independent and private so we can maintain control.'' Hogan had no estimates for the number of visitors expected, but said the gardens are expected to attract people from Conejo and San Fernando valleys as well as Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Hogan said his project won't be as sophisticated as Busch Gardens, a theme park in Tampa Bay, Fla., but it will be a tourist destination. ``Gardens in general are definite reasons why some people travel,'' said Fred Sater, spokesman for the California Division of Tourism The California Office of Tourism, popularly referred to as the Division of Tourism,[1] is an office within the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. . ``There are a lot of garden enthusiasts that travel the world . . . to look at an English garden or the Arboretum arboretum: see botanical garden. arboretum Place where trees, shrubs, and sometimes herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes. An arboretum may be a collection in its own right or a part of a botanical garden. in L.A. County. They are certainly part of the tourism mix.'' The success of the Gardens of the World also would depend on the marketing, he said. ``And of course Thousand Oaks is between the coast and L.A. Basin, so you'll get traffic to and from and I would suspect it could be a natural draw for people in the L.A. basin.'' Combining it with some other local attraction, like the Civic Arts Plaza, also would help, he said. The Hogan family, founders of Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays in Westlake Village, created the foundation in October with the mission of providing information about tourism's impacts and opportunities in the travel industry. CAPTION(S): photo, map Photo: (color) The founders of Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays announced plans Tuesday for Gardens of the World, a 4-acre botanic development. Map: Porposed site of Gardens of the World |
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