Garden Photo of the Day

GPOD on the Road: Morikami Japanese Garden

Tropical interpretation of a classic style

By GPOD Contributor
waterfall and lake surrounded by greenery

Today Nancy Mellen is taking us along on a visit to an unusual Japanese garden.

I love the GPOD, and I thought I’d send pictures from my visit in February 2022 to Morikami Japanese Garden in Delray Beach, Florida.

lake surrounded by ornamental grasses and trees
This is the beginning of the walk around the lake, with small trees with cloud pruning. The plant choices are quite different from what we would see in a more northern Japanese garden, but the principles of pruning and design are the same.

garden gate framing a garden path
This gate we walked through on the path frames the view beautifully and marks the transition from different parts of the garden.

tunnel created by plantsWhen what looks like crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia, Zones 7–10) in this tunnel is flowering, it must be magnificent.

large white and pink flowers
Clerodendrum quadriloculare (Zones 9–10) is a fast-growing shrub or small tree, and gives a great display of flowers during the winter.

traditional Japanese rock garden
Traditional Japanese rock gardens are beautiful. Designed for use in Zen meditation, they offer a place to sit, be still, and let your mind rest on the details of the space.

rock garden from another angle
The rest of the rock garden shows the classic, meticulously raked gravel.

flowering shrubs around a Japanese rock garden
Blooming azaleas (Rhododendron hybrids, Zones 7–10) surround the gravel of the garden.

A lovely gate with huge bamboo growing on its left offers a spot to sit and take in the garden.

waterfall and lake surrounded by greenery
Water, rocks, and trees are key features in Japanese gardens, as they attempt to recreate the rugged beauty of nature.

 

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Comments

  1. User avater
    treasuresmom 03/18/2022

    I had no idea that garden is there. Thank you for sharing.

  2. User avater
    simplesue 03/18/2022

    The crape myrtle tunnel is just amazing, as is the waterfall!
    Who would have guessed this garden is in Florida
    Thanks for your photographic tour of this garden!

  3. fromvirginia 03/18/2022

    Thanks for sharing. Delightful and interesting to see this interpretation in a warmer climate.

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