We Americans like to put our own stamp on things. Most Chinese food served in the U.S. would be unrecognizable to a person newly arrived from China. The same is true of a good many “English teas” I have enjoyed over the years. The food may be delicious, but the comestibles and the experience are English-style rather than truly English. This is probably as it should be. Cultural traditions are integral to specific places and times and there is something about most of them that is hard to translate completely to other places and times. The best we can do is pay respectful homage to a particular art or discipline and the culture that gave rise to it.
For over one hundred years, Americans have been fascinated by Japanese-style gardens. We have a number of them in this country on pubic lands as well private property. The gardens’ popularity has waxed and waned over time, but many of them have endured. Kendall H. Brown’s book, Quiet Beauty – The Japanese Gardens of North America, profiles twenty-six Japanese gardens located throughout the United States and Canada. Brown separates Japanese garden fact from fiction with the help of lavish illustrations by David M. Cobb.
Japanese-style gardens are characterized by certain common elements. Water is often prominent, as are bridges. Dry gardens, like the one at the Bloedel Reserve in Bainbridge Island, Washington, are composed of carefully arranged rocks surrounded by meticulously raked gravel. Some gardens use structures like tea houses or observation pavilions as focal points. Japanese-style stone lanterns and statuary adorn winding paths of “stroll gardens.” Certain evergreens, either dwarf varieties or species with sculptural characteristics are used as stand-alone specimens or grouped thoughtfully. Some Japanese-style gardens feature the ornamental cherry trees for which the Japanese have great reverence. Overall the feeling in Japanese-style gardens is contemplative and restful, with elements combined in thoughtful ways to form a harmonious whole.