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.

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.

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

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

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 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.

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

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.

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

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