The Dry Garden (Karesansui Niwa)
The Dry (Karesansui) Garden (sometimes erroneously called Zen) is a garden that does not fit the Westerner’s typical image of a garden. Instead of colorful flowers and foliage, it is instead a simple bed of raked gravel, interspersed with a few large rocks and surrounded by shrubs.
Its roots go back in Japanese history to before AD 500 when Shinto was the principal religion, animistic, where nature was revered and had sacred natural objects. The shrines were built with large gravel areas always on the south end of buildings and the gravel was considered sacred ground. Later, when Buddhism, along with Chinese culture, was introduced in 552, the two religions paralleled in growth, having separate yet interchangeable functions. Nara became the first capitol in 710 followed by Heian-kyo (Kyoto) in 794 from where the archipelago society began to consolidate. Here an aristocratic society developed around an emperor and developed independent of Chinese influence. In time, the rulers began to neglect their hold son the land. An extravagant life focused on the arts resulted slowly in the lack of interest in the countryside outside of the urban sphere.
The military of the society saw waste, inefficiency, and opulent trappings as negative. Wresting power from the emperor, the military began a rule in 1155 that lasted almost 700 years. The beginning was called the Kamakura Period, followed by the Muromachi Period that together spanned 383 years. The military sought a more austere society. New Chinese ideas were imported along with a sect of Buddhism called Zen which preached self-restraint, frugality, and simplicity. There was a pronounced masculine tone to the age. This influenced all of the higher echelon of society and the fine and applied arts, including architecture and the gardens.
In contrast with the earlier expansive Heian gardens with ponds, the Dry Gardens developed in these two periods became tightly enclosed and introverted, suggesting but not containing water. Rocks and gravel became the dominant elements, sometimes depicting fantasies of landscape paradise interpreted from Chinese paintings or Japanese landscapes. Plants became incidental to the point where the most famous Dry Garden, the Ryoanji, contains 15 rocks, a little moss, and raked gravel in the area about the size of a tennis court. Another garden in Kyoto, about the same size, has only raked gravel.
These gardens have been associated mainly with Buddhist temples or warrior residences of the higher class. They were rarely built as meditation centers but were to illustrate philosophic ideas, not exclusively Zen. The daily maintenance of the gardens, especially by young priests, has been a more suitable discipline for meditation. Foremost, the gardens were works of religious art, some designed by priests but many designed by unknown lowest-class workers but with a broad knowledge and experience in garden construction.
The Dry Garden at Japan House is a free-form design which has in its shape a reflection of the contour of the ponds in the distance.
Kare-san-sui (“dry-mountain-water”) is a garden for viewing only from a room, veranda, or walkway. It is not entered (suggesting the Shinto sacred ground influence) and framed by a high wall, fence, or vegetation. In the design, large areas are left empty (called “ma”) suggestive of brush paintings where “less is more” and the mind fills in the spaces. It also suggests vastness in a small space. More often, the gardens were rectangular in shape but free-form existed and became more popular in modern times after the 1600s.
The Dry Garden at Japan House is a free-form design which has in its shape a reflection of the contour of the ponds in the distance. The whole cannot be viewed at one time but must be seen from different locations along the walk. Thus, it suggests a body of water with islands and shoreline cliffs. At the back perimeter, viewed from the walk, a hedge is being sculptured to resemble a mountain range or string of connected hills. It serves to confine the gravel area as a view only from the walk or Japan House. Instead of a wall background, the viewer is allowed to incorporate the distant hill view on the east side of the Arboretum into the foreground scene (called “Shakkei”) expanding the scope of the garden.
Trees
T1 Pinus koraiensis (Korean Pine)
T2a Pinus Pariflora ‘Glauca Early Cone’ (Japanese White Pine)
T2b Pinus parviflora ‘Arakawa’ (Japanese White Pine)
T2c Pinus parviflora ‘Nasu’ (Japanese White Pine)
T2d Pinus parviflora ‘Monroe’ (Japanese White Pine)
T2e Pinus pariflora ‘Smith’ (Japanese White Pine)
T3 Tsuga Canadensis (Canadian Hemlock)
T4 Acer pseudosieboldianum (Korean Maple) [Manchuria-Korea]
T5 Acer japonicum ‘Vitifolium’ (Fullmoon Maple) [Japan]
T6 Acer palmatum ‘Hogyoku’ (Japanese Maple)
T7 Symplocos paniculata (Saphhireberry) [China, Japan]
T8 Acer palmatum ‘Red Emperor’ (Japanese Maple, red)
T9 Syringa reticulate ‘Ivory Silk’ (Japanese Lilac Tree)
T10 Acer palmatum ‘Crimson Queen’ (Japanese Maple, red)
T11 Ceris Canadensis (Easter Redbud) [Eastern US]
T12 Prunus subhirtella ‘Pendula Rosea’ (Higan Cherry) [Japan]
T13 Acer palmatum ‘Butterfly’ (Japanese Maple)
T14 Pinus bungeana (Lacebark Pine) [China]
T15 Acer rubrum ‘Red Sunset’ (Red Maple) [Eastern US]
T16 Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Tidal Wave’ (Katsura) [Japan]
T17 Acwe palmatrum ‘Bloodgood’ (Japanese Maple)
Deciduous Shrubs
D1 Cotoneaster apiculatus ‘(Cranberry Cotoneaster) [Western China]
D2 Cotoneaster horizontalis ‘Variagatus’ [Western China]
D3 Myrica epnsylvanica (Northern Bayberry) [Eastern US]
D4 Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’ (Winged Euonymus) [Central China]
D5 Leptodermis oblanga [China]
D6 Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Issia’ (Purple Beautyberry) [Japan]
D8 Deutzia gracilis ‘Nikko’ (Slender D.) [Japan]
D9 Lespedeza thunbergii ‘Gibralter’ (Shrub Bushhclover0 [Japan]
D10 Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Renkaku’ (Tree Peony, white) [China]
D11 Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Hana Kisoi’ (Tree Peony, pink) [China]
D12 Viberum carlesii ‘Korean Spice Vibernum) [Korea]
D13 Berberis thunbegii var. atropurputa/’Cimson Pygmy’ [Japan]
D14 Euonymus alatus ‘Rudy Haag’ [China]
D15 Heptacodium miconioides (Seven-son Flower) [China]
Perennials
P1 Paeonia ‘Senorita’ (Japanese Peony, pink)
P2 Paeonia ‘Do Tell’ (Japanese Peony, pink/rose)
P3 Paeonia ‘Betty Warner’ (Japanese Peony, red)
P4 Hemerocallis ‘Golden Coruroy’ (Daylily, yellow/wine) [Japan]
P5 Hemerocallis ‘Strutter’s Ball’ (Daylily, deep purple) [Japan]
P6 Hemerocallis ‘Condilla’ (Daylily, gold) [Japan]
P7 Iris ‘Bearded Hybrid’/ l. xiphium ‘Eye of the Tiger’
P8 Iris reticulate var. danforiae (Early yellow Iris) [Eastern Turkey]
P9 Paeonia (Peony_ [China]/Chrysantheumum
P10 Hosta ‘Paradise Joyce’ [China, Japan]
P11 Iris siberica [Russia]
P12 Platdycodon grandiflorus (Balloonflower) [Japan]
P13 Thalictum rochebrunianum (Meadow-rue) [Japn]
P15 Hosta ‘Fragrant Bouquet’ [Japan]
P17 Dalea purpurea (Purple Prairie Clover) [Western US]
P18 Hemerocallis ‘Hyperion’ (Daylily, yellow) [Japan]
P19a Hemerocallis ‘Jade Star’ (Daylily, wine/white) [Japan]
P19b Hemerocallis ‘Raspberry Pixie’ (Daylily, purple/yellow) [Japan]
P22 Campanula carpatica ‘Blue Clips’ (Carpathian Harebell) [Eastern Europe]
Evergreen Shrubs
E1 Taxus cuspidate ‘Runyon’ (Japanese Yew)
E2 Taxus cuspidate ‘Nana’ (Japanese Yew)
E3a Taxus x media ‘Tauntonii’ (Anglojapanese Yew) [Japan, England]
E3b Taxus x media ‘Bobbink’ (Anglojapanese Yew) {Japan, England]
E4a Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’ (Anglojapanese Yew) [Japan, England]
E4b Taxus x media ‘Everlow’ (Anglojapanese Yew) [Japan, England]
E5 Taxus x media ‘Nigra’ (Anglojapnese Yew) [Japan, England]
E6 Taxus x media ‘Brownli’ (Holly)
E7 Taxus x media ‘Densiformis’ (Anglojapanese Yew) [Japan, England]
E8a Taxus x media ‘Wardii’ (Anglojapanese Yew) [Japan, England]
E8bTaxus cuspidate ‘Capilata’ (Japanese Yew)
E9 Buxus microphyla var. koreana (Littleleaf Boxwood)
E10 Buxus microphyla koreana x B. sempervirens ‘Green Velvet’ (Littleleaf Boxwood) [Korea, Japan, England]
E11a Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’ (Japanesegarden Juniper)
E11b Juniperus procumbens ‘Greenmound’ (Japanesegarden Juniper)
E12 Juniperus chinensis ‘Mountbatten’ (Chinese Juniper)
E13 Juniperus horizontalis ‘Bar Harbor’ (Creeping Juniper) [North America]
E14 Juniperus chinensis var. sargentii (Chinese Juniper) [Japan]
E15 Juniperus Sabina ‘Broadmoor’ (Savin J.) [Central Europe]
E16 Juniperus chinensis ‘Gold Coast’ (Chinese J.) [China, Japan]
E17 PInus mugo var. pumilio (Mugho Pine) [Central Europe]
E19 Ilex x meserveae ‘Blue Prince’/’Blue Princess’ (Holly)
E20 Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald’ (Eastern Arborvitae) [Eastern North America]
E21 Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz Midget’ (Eastern Arborvitae) [Eastern North America]
E22 Thuja occidentalis ‘Techny’ (Mission Arborvitae) [Eastern North America]
E23 Juniperus chinensis ‘Fairview’ (Chinese Juniper)
E24 Juniperus communis ‘Hiberica’ (Iris Juniper)
E25 Juniperus horizontalis ‘Blue Chip’ (Creeping Juniper) [North America]
E27 Juniperus communis ‘Green Carpet’ (Common Juniper) [Northern Hemisphere)
E28 Pinus mugo var. mugo (Mugo Pine) [Central Europe]
E29 Ilex x meserveae ‘China Girl’ (Holly)
E30 Ilex x meserveae ‘China Boy’ (Holly)
E31 Ilex glabra ‘Compacta’ (Inkberry Holly) [Eastern US]
E32 Picea abies ‘Little Gem’ (Bird’s Nest Spruce) {Europe]
E33 Thuja occidentalis ‘Little Gian’ (Eastern Arborvitae) [Eastern North America]
E34 Chamaecyperis pisifera ‘Sungold’ [Japan]
E36 Rhododendron yakusimanum ‘Ken Janek’ [Japan]
Ground Covers
G1 Sedum acre (Goldmoss Stonecrop) [Asia, Europe]
G3 Walsteinia fragarioides (Barren Strawberry) [Eastern US]
G5 Thymus pseudolanuginosus (Wooly Thyme) [Europe]
- Please keep your pets on a leash
- Please stay on the path
- Please stay out of the rock garden. We ask that be respectful to our requests to keep you safe and keep Japan House gardens beautiful
- Please do not put rocks in the tsukubai (water feature in tea garden)
- Garbage is located at North and South Parking lots
- A water fountain is located near the North Parking lot
- Bike racks are also available at both North and South parking lots
- In the months of December - March, the tea gardens are closed