70 
HENDERSON’S PICTURESQUE GARDENS 
THE GARDENS OF JAPAN 
Lilies, Maples, and end with the Chrysanthemums. The Japanese indulge in 
much sentiment in regard to their flowers, which are interwoven in their 
minds with poetical and traditional associations. 
In their decorative gardens the Japanese idolize landscape effects scarcely 
less than their National flowers. Even in gardens of small dimen- 
sions they imitate in miniature, hills, mountains, lakes, islands, ravines, 
waterfalls, and other component 
parts of a picturesque landscape. 
Often these gardens are not over 
30 feet square, appearing to us as 
mere doll’s gardens, though accord- 
ing to Japanese ideas they repre- 
sent the perfection of landscape art. 
To attain such results and false 
perspectives, requires consummate 
skill and ingenuity in which, how- 
ever, the Japanese are very profi- 
cient, landscape gardening having 
been practiced by them as one of 
the fine arts since the fifteenth cen- 
tury. Although they have two or 
three different schools, or methods, 
they all teach that "The Art itself 
is Nature.” 
Besides imitating nature, the 
Japanese impart to their designs 
some symbolical character, senti- 
ment or historical tableaux, which 
renders their gardening art very 
complex. Features of Japanese 
gardens other than those mentioned 
above are beds of pretty gravel, 
representing the dry course of some 
stream through which are placed 
colored stepping stones. The posi- 
tions of the trees, such as the 
"View -Perfecting Tree,” "Tree of 
Solitude,” etc. , are regulated accord- 
ing to traditional rules, a few dwarf 
trees or shrubs being trained to 
represent a forest, etc. 
The Japanese are a flower-worshiping people, their holidays being festi- 
vals devoted to favorite flowers. On these days men, women, and even tod- 
dling children go forth to admire the seasonal bloom in the gardens and 
orchards. These festal occasions commence when the Plums are in blossom 
in February, and follow in succession throughout the season, with the flower- 
ing of the Cherries, Paeonies, Azaleas, Wistarias, Iris, Morning-Glories, Lotus 
