Stroll Garden Features

Views, textures and compositional elements in the garden have been balanced according to Japanese aesthetic principles, immersing visitors in an idealized landscape inspired by a mountain setting by the sea. The defining feature of the garden is its stepping stone path, inspired by the intimacy of a mountain trail. A walk through the garden takes visitors through various twists and turns, including a “mountain peak,” before ending at the pondside-teahouse.

This unique and historic garden also boasts an impressive collection of North American and Asian plants that constitute a beautiful Japanese landscape and impart a meditative experience.

Stone Water Basins (Tsukubai), have traditionally provided a place for guests to rinse their mouths and wash their hands in an act of purifying body and mind before entering the tea house.

The Koi-filled Pond is a central element and often represents real or mythical lakes or seas.

Stone Lanterns have been used as architectural ornaments contrasting agreeably with natural features and providing soft illumination in the evening. Usually, they are placed near water or along a curve in a path and represent love, brightness and protection from evil.

Stepping Stones (Tobi ishi) are symbolic of a path across a body of water and are used to control the rate at which one moves through the garden encouraging moment-to-moment reflection.