GRAND RAPIDS – A $22 million Japanese Garden is coming to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, the culmination of a 10 to 15 year master plan to add an international garden to the world-class tourist destination.

Plans for the Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden, an 8 1/2-acre garden with gates, gazebos, waterfalls and more, were unveiled at noon today at Meijer Gardens.

“It also was Fred’s last wish for Meijer Gardens,” said David Hooker, president and CEO of Meijer Gardens today. “By doing our job, we keep Fred Meijer’s legacy alive.

Construction on the two-year, $22 million project is expected to begin in spring of 2013.

“I think the budget reflects our commitment to quality,” Hooker said.

The garden in the northeast corner of Meijer Gardens 132-acre campus will be designed by Japanese designer Hoichi Kurisu using a variety of horticultural and architectural elements.

Meijer Gardens benefactors Fred and Lena Meijer were particularly fond of Japanese gardens, according to Hooker. Fred Meijer died in November at age 91.

“He had been to Japan and he really loved Japanese gardens. More importantly, he knew of his wife’s love for Japanese gardens,” Hooker recalled. “He said this really would be a great thing to do for Lena. She loves to have tea with her friends, and it would be nice to have a tea house in a Japanese garden.”

Plans, which first surfaced in January, also include works of contemporary sculpture by major, international artists whose aesthetic and form will work in harmony with the space.

Japanese gardens are miniature, idealized landscapes, an interpretation that appears natural but is not wild. Kurisu, founder of Kurisu International, will use elements such as Zen and bonsai gardens, scenic bridges, and a tea house among many other features.

"The art of putting together a Japanese Garden is taking all of these elements and putting them together in the most beautiful way," Hooker said.

"Everywhere you go in the Japanese Garden, the view will be different, and it'll be beautiful."

Kurisu, a native of Hiroshima in Japan, grew up in the aftermath of the atomic bomb that the United State dropped on Japan to end World War II.

“He saw the healing power in plants and horticulture, and he devoted his life to landscape design,” Hooker said.

The first confirmed sculpture for the Japanese Garden is a major work by Anish Kapoor, whose “Cloud Gate” -- nicknamed “The Bean” -- can be found in Chicago’s Millennium Park among other locations.

One of the few works in granite the artist has created, its circular units on the front surface of the sculpture reflect and enhance the surrounding environment while the quiet mood of the work encourages meditation.

“The challenge is for us to stay focused and to try to find and work with sculptors whose work and aesthetic would be harmonious with a Japanese Garden,” said Joseph Becherer, vice president and chief curator of horticulture and sculpture at Meijer Gardens. “We’ve taken this tradition within the family of who and what we are.”

The untitled work currently is in the United Kingdom, on loan to the residence of the U.S. ambassador in London.

Meijer Gardens recently began a $22 million capital campaign to support the project. Fred and Lena Meijer, and Richard and Helen DeVos made significant gifts to the project.

“When Fred and Lena invited us to participate in the Japanese Garden planning, Helen and I were excited to have the opportunity to join them in further enhancing the remarkable organization they have built,” said Richard DeVos, in a prepared statement.

“Japanese gardens are one of the most ancient and profound horticultural traditions in the world and we’re pleased to bring it to this Midwest cultural gem.”

Groundbreaking will take place no later than the spring of 2013 though excavation may begin this year. Progressive AE and Owen Ames Kimball will provide architectural, engineering and construction management support.

Kurisu’s work includes Anderson Gardens in Rockford, Ill., Morikami Museum and Japanese Garden in Delray Beach, Fla.

Kurisu, who lives in Florida, will relocate to Grand Rapids to supervise the three-year project leading to the opening of the Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden in 2015.

Steve LaWarre, director of horticulture at Meijer Gardens, said his staff is thrilled by the opportunity to work with Kurisu over the next three years.

“This is an incredible opportunity to learn from Hoichi as we work side by side,” LaWarre said.

Though the Japanese Garden is expected to open in 2015, it’s expected to be a work in progress for many years to come.

“This really is a garden about time and also about timelessness,” Becherer said. “What you have ultimately is a multigenerational process that will grow and change as time passes and it matures.”

E-mail Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk: jkaczmarczyk@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ArtsWriter