The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at California State University, Long Beach has been a local monument since it's opening in 1981. After a donation from Loraine Miller Collins, the 1.3 acre garden was constructed and opened in honor of her late husband, Earl Burns Miller. According to Long Beach State's website, "Earl and Loraine Miller shared a passion for the outdoors, and gardening in particular."
The garden is a mixed art form that combines typical elements of Japanese garden design but with a Southern California twist. One element of the traditional Japanese garden is the evergreen foliage, meaning it keeps its green color year-round. This element is true in the garden at Long Beach State. The grounds are overwhelmingly filled with life and color.
Another element that carried over from the traditional Japanese style is the inclusion of a Karesansui, or "desert landscape" garden. These rock gardens are also called zen gardens because they are generally used for a quiet place away to reflect and meditate. While most of the entire garden was peaceful and noise kept to a very minimum, the sectioned-off zen garden was exceptionally kept to a hush due to it's far corner location.
 [Photo By Danielle Scharer] |
| From one of the overlooks, visitors can get up-close with Koi Fish and the lush greenery. |
 [Photo By Danielle Scharer] |
| Symmetrically raked sand surrounding tree in the Zen Garden away from main pond. |
The weekday visit didn't offer many participants of this garden's beauty, which is why this makes it such an over-looked amenity for the campus and public. Situated between the student dorms and multiple parking lots, visitors would never guess that just outside these green walls are anything other than Japanese paradise.
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