A visit to a ‘stroll garden’ is a carefully choreographed affair. You walk around the garden by a prescribed route which presents the visitor with a series of beautifully composed views. Everything is carefully considered – the exact position of each stone, tree, handrail, plant – the shape of the pond, the glimpse of a building. Nothing is left to chance.
The result is a feeling of peaceful harmony. It all works together beautifully. Except that the most famous gardens are popular with visitors, including lots of school trips, even in December. For true peace and harmony it would be good if you could visit by yourself, to see it as originally intended.
With all this care it is possible that the gardens could become ossified – set in time – and many have been laid out centuries ago. The plants may grow, die and be replaced, but the composition remains nearly the same. I’m not sure how I feel about this. In the West we are accustomed to look for novelty, progress, moving on. We seem quite content to enjoy a mediaeval painting, or the interior of a historic house as it used to be – but we expect something else from a garden, perhaps because it has to be constantly maintained and re-newed.
Essentially the classic Japanese garden is a historic work of art – and many have been recognised as World Heritage Sites. To re-organise the rocks or change the outline of the pond would be a desecration. We do have some equivalents in Europe – there would be an outcry if someone wanted to re-arrange Brown’s landscape at Stowe, or Le Notre’s Versailles. But these are large-scale parks, with a specific designer and date, they are not small and personal.
There will always be a conflict between the preservation of a historic garden as it was in its heyday, and the possibility of change and development – “as the original owner might have wished” But who decides? This is the challenge faced by our National Trust when it comes to such gardens as Hidcote or Sissinghurst. You can’t please all of the people all of the time.
I certainly enjoyed my visits, especially to the Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) and the Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion). Both are breathtakingly beautiful, even in the Winter – idealised landscapes you can walk through. But I would never try to re-produce this style here in England. Many have attempted it, and I can understand – for it is easy to fall in love with the Japanese Stroll Garden. But I’m not convinced it ever truly ‘works’ away from its native soil and climate or without a deep knowledge of the centuries-old culture that under-pins the composition.
pennyburnfield 