Trip to Adelaide Himeji Japanese garden

A couple of weeks ago, I took a trip across town for a dentist checkup (no fillings - yay!). It was a beautiful sunny morning and I had a bit of free time following my appointment, so I decided to stop in at the nearby Himeji Japanese Garden.

Himeji Garden entrance, shaded by a large mulberry tree and underplanted with assorted juniper

Continuing through the gatehouse, nearby signage states:  

'...you will see the water bowl (chozubachi) so visitors may purify themselves by washing their hands and adopting a humble kneeling attitude.'

I don't see many Australians doing this, but I think it is a lovely idea.

Water bowl, chozubachi, flanked by Nandina domestica and Juniperus sp.
 




Having not been to this garden for years, my immediate impression upon walking through the entrance way was how beautifully tidy and well maintained everything looked. For a free public garden, I think this level of care is quite extraordinary.

The garden was opened in 1985, to symbolise the bonds of friendship between the sister cities of Adelaide, Australia and Himeji, Japan. It is located in the southern Adelaide Parklands (a large ring of green space that surrounds to city). 

Signage states:

'Two classic Japanese style gardens are combined here - the 'senzui' - a lake and mountain garden where water and the imagination create images of vastness and granduer, and the 'kare senzui' - a dry garden where rocks and sand evoke the presence of water, even the sea itself.'

'...the heart of the garden is the lake (s'ensui) suggesting purity of heart, which Buddhists believe is essential to happiness...'

 

Okunoin lantern, presented to the City of Adelaide by the City of Himeji, its inscription reads:
'For the friendship of the two cities'

I loved the mondo grass Ophiopogon japonicus lined paths

The camellias were in full bloom. This one is Camellia hiemalis 'Hiryu'

Perhaps C. sasanqua 'Exquisite'

Trickling water from the well (ido) adds to the relaxing atmosphere and traditionally provided water for tea ceremony

Though a common garden plant in some parts of the world, you rarely see Mahonia sp. in Adelaide gardens

Everywhere you look, plants are beautifully pruned and/or trained. To my mind, these pines look to be deeply sighing, side by side. The teahouse (chasitu) and sea of sand (kare-senzui) can be seen in the background.


Trees such as this Pyrus sp. were pruned to open up the canopy, allowing maximum light to the understorey below.

The lake (s'ensui) from a different angle

Thalia sp. makes an attractive feature

The sea of sand (kare-senzui) as viewed from the teahouse (chasitu)


The rocks and raked sand, though small in extent, invite the viewer to imagine the vastness of the sea with the islands and continents. As Buddha said:

'With our thoughts, we create the world.'

On that note, I headed home, refreshed (of mind, and newly cleaned teeth) and feeling lucky that such a beautiful, well maintained and free public park is only stone's throw from my city's CBD.

Comments

  1. Kris PetersonMay 25, 2022 at 7:23 PM

    I'm almost always impressed by the low-key beauty of Japanese-style gardens, even though I'm utterly incapable of replicating the style myself (given how fixated I am with floral color). It appears simple and effortless but it's really quite complex when you look closely, which I expect is part of the point. I've seldom seen a messy Japanese garden anywhere. I'm glad your teeth got a seal of approval and that you had time for a peaceful walk in the park.

    ReplyDelete
  2. HorticatMay 28, 2022 at 1:55 AM

    I share your admiration for the apparent simplicity (not to mention restraint) of Japanese gardens, Kris. Like a typical plant collector, I like to grow ‘one of everything’ (including lots of flowers) so don’t like my chances of being able to replicate that style in my own garden either. Flowers are just too alluring - for our birds, pollinators and for flower arrangers too ;)

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  3. AnonymousMay 28, 2022 at 9:14 AM

    Japanese gardens are always peaceful and impeccably maintained. Attention to details and restraint are key elements (similar to sushi presentations :-D); I've never seen one I didn't love. I can't quite mimic the style in my own garden though as I'm more of a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of gardener. I'd love to create even a tiny 'sea of sand', but constant litter from a massive pine needles tree would sadly make it impossible. It sure look gorgeous (and restraint!) with the rocks and bits of grass.
    Chavli

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HorticatMay 29, 2022 at 5:27 AM

      Yes, next-level restraint and attention to detail. And I like your sushi comparison :)

      I remember listening to an interview with an elderly Japanese master gardener who explained that in the first year of his (seven year) apprenticeship, he was only permitted to perform basic tasks such as sweeping and removing weeds from between paving. After such a practice, I imagine attention to detail becomes almost innate.

      Delete

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