Garden Photo of the Day

Tokyo Gardens in November

Scenes from a Japanese garden

By Fine Gardening editors

Today’s photos come from Cynthia Cox. She lives in Oklahoma City, but today she’s sharing photos from a trip she took to Tokyo.

I moved from an acre lot to a downtown apartment in 2017. I definitely miss my gardens, but I still get pleasure in visiting public gardens in my hometown of Oklahoma City and when I travel. These pictures are from Rikugien Garden in Northwest Tokyo. This beautiful garden is located behind a wall hidden from the surrounding neighborhood. The Japanese maples and ginko trees were in full glorious fall color. This was definitely one of the most gorgeous public gardens I’ve ever visited.

A massive Japanese cherry tree (Prunus serrulata, Zones 5–8). When in bloom, these trees are of course an iconic part of the Japanese spring, but the branching structure is lovely even without the leaves.

This beautifully shaped pine is an example of a niwaki, which is a tree pruned and shaped using techniques similar to those used in bonsai but on full-size trees and shrubs. Because these trees are such carefully shaped works of art, it’s crucial that the branches not be damaged by heavy snow loads. So the tree is topped with a pole and a pyramid of supporting ropes going down to each branch to give it extra support.

Here’s another large tree framed with a beautiful pyramid of supporting ropes. These structures are are beautiful as they are practical for protecting trees.

The bright fall colors of Japanese maples (Acer palmatum, Zones 6–9) and other trees light up the garden.

This perfect view of the garden showcases the lovely branches of the Japanese maples, a perfectly simple bridge, and, in the foreground, Kuma bamboo grass (Sasa veitchii, Zones 6–9). This bamboo’s leaves develop straw-colored margins during the winter.

A perfectly placed spotlight highlights the drama of a Japanese maple in full autumnal color.

 

Have a garden you’d like to share?

 

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

If you want to send photos in separate emails to the GPOD email box that is just fine.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

You don’t have to be a professional garden photographer – check out our garden photography tips!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Pruning Simplified: A Step-by-Step Guide to 50 Popular Trees and Shrubs

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Pruning Simplified shows you exactly how to do it. This must-have guide offers expert advice on the best tools for the job, specific details on when to prune, and clear instructions on how to prune. Profiles of the 50 most popular trees and shrubs—including azaleas, camellias, clematis, hydrangeas, and more—include illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions that will ensure you make the right cut the first time.
Buy at Amazon

DeWalt Variable-Speed Cordless Reciprocating Saw with 6-Piece Saw Blade Set

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

You can fit a variety of blades to this saw to cut fallen branches or prune larger limbs from trees in a pinch. It’s fast, tough, easy to use, and extremely versatile.
- 18.31 x 6.13 x 4 inches
- 1-1/8-inch stroke length
- Variable speed trigger with 0-3000 spm
- DW4856 Metal/Woodcutting Reciprocating Saw Blade Set, 6-Piece
Buy at Amazon

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Doug Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area.
Buy at Amazon
X
View 6 comments

Comments

  1. User avater
    treasuresmom 02/07/2019

    Love it all. Thank you for sharing about niwaki. I did not know about that.

  2. User avater
    simplesue 02/07/2019

    I love the Sasa types of bamboo, nice to see the Sasa Veitchii growing in the Tokyo garden. What a beautiful photo! I am growing Sasa Palmata in zone 6b in my garden, they are similar.

  3. wittyone 02/07/2019

    These photos are just beautiful. The last one is spectacular and so dramatic with the lighting.

  4. btucker9675 02/07/2019

    Thank you for these beautiful photos - especially love the bare branches of the Japanese cherry tree.

  5. cheryl_c 02/07/2019

    Thank you for sharing pictures from this beautiful garden. For those wishing to know more about Niwaki, Timber Press published a book in 2007 by Jake Hobson that explores these techniques, and an autobiographical book by Leslie Buck that describes her apprenticeship with a Kyoto gardening company. Both are excellent reading.

  6. User avater
    RodgerMckinley 09/19/2019

    Awesome!

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Related Articles

The Latest

Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants
Episode 183: Roses You Won’t Regret

Tried-and-true roses for your garden Roses may be the most controversial plant out there. Gardeners of all types have very strong opinions about them, both positive and negative. In this…
Midwest Regional Reports
Purple Milkweed: An Endangered Plant in the Midwest

Monarchs and their fluctuating populations have certainly captivated the attention of gardeners and the general public over the last couple of decades. Challenges for the monarch have included loss of…
Pacific Northwest Regional Reports
Uncommon Ground Covers with Reliable Interest

Many people (including me) use ground covers in their garden. Ground covers will keep weeds down, reduce ground erosion, and cool the soil around larger plants. It is also a…

Video

View All Videos
Design

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be careful when you enter the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping—not because you’re likely to trip on something, but because you might be dive-bombed by a pair…
Design

4 Midsummer Favorites From a Plant Breeder's Garden
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 181: Plants You Can’t Kill
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 180: Plants with Big, Bold Foliage 
How-To

4 Steps to Remove Invasive Plants in Your Yard