PREVIOUS PAGE: A Japanese holly hedge did not age well
by this courtyard in the Seattle Japanese Garden. In early
2018, it was replaced by a traditional teppo gaki bamboo
fence, which provides a more effective enclosure.
(Photos by Aleks Monk and Aurora Santiago)
THIS PAGE: A Cryptomeria on the north side of the roji grew
out of proportion with its space and was eventually removed,
providing more light for surrounding plants. (Photos by
Aleks Monk and Corinne Kennedy)
BEFORE
AFTER
that are not shade tolerant can be replaced by
more shade-tolerant species. When plants
become too competitive or weedy, you’ll need to
make thoughtful decisions about which ones to
restrict or eliminate.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, dry summers
exacerbate the issue of shade under large decidu-
ous trees and shrubs. Many of your original plants
may not survive, and you may need to replace
them with spring ephemerals, early-blooming
bulbs, and perennials that are summer-dormant.
As time passes, consider whether your origi-
nal design is being realized. If it’s not, and your
design does not seem salvageable, think about
the possibility of a new balance of plant species—
or an entirely new vision.
Time in the Seattle Japanese Garden
Additional strategies to address the effects of time
are commonly used in Japanese-style gardens.
Trees and shrubs are pruned in traditional shapes
to maintain a size in balance with the garden’s
other plants and design elements. Pruning is also
used to highlight the attractiveness of seasonal
changes and the powerful branching architec-
ture that many trees develop over time. Plants that
no longer fulfill their role in the garden’s design
are replaced, sometimes by hardscape instead of
other plants. Wooden support posts help extend
the life of declining woody plants, but eventually
the plants will die and be removed. With time, even
healthy trees and shrubs—grown so large that scale
and proportion are lost—may be cut down.
Occasionally a garden develops a positive life
of its own, even though its original design has
been lost or obscured. Kyoto’s Saiho-ji temple
garden, overtaken by moss after decades without
maintenance, became a uniquely beautiful “moss
garden” renowned throughout the world. The
photo on page 7, of our Seattle garden’s roji
(teahouse garden) illustrates how beautifully
moss spreads under favorable conditions. If a
similar process occurs in your garden, why not
embrace it?
As a docent of the Seattle Japanese Garden,
I share with visitors a public garden with a
decades-long time frame. Next time you visit,
try to observe how the gardeners have responded
to the challenges of passing time and maintain a
garden that celebrates this natural process. You
may find their strategies useful for preserving the
resilience and longevity of your own garden. m
References
Thorpe, Patricia. “Growing Pains: Time and Change in the
Garden.” Boston, MA: Harcourt, 1994.
Oudolf, P. and Noel Kingsbury. “Planting Design: Gardens in
Time and Space.” Portland, OR: Timber Press, 2005.
C orinne K ennedy is a Seattle Japanese Garden
guide, frequent contributor to the garden’s blog,
and retired garden designer.
Summer 2019 v 9