What lies behind this classic Japanese gateway? Tranquility, serenity.... peace after a big day at the office!!

Stylishly classic Japanese entrance with gate to a private home. Walls on either side of the gateway make for a really private courtyard garden.

Behind the gates is a garden that calms the senses with it's Japanese granite lantern, clipped trees, pathway and carefully placed stones. Japanese hedge shears and secateurs play a big part in giving the plantlife the finishing touches.

Post Office with the Most Office

If a Post Office like this was in your suburb you'd probaly invent ways to post something just so you could admire the beauty of the building and the garden in front of it. This well designed building is in Kamakura - a cute little town in the hills outside Yokohama.

Not far from this Post Office were these two smartly dressed Japanese women in their kimono probably still talking about the garden and the building where they had just posted some article from.

Japanese Garden - Mt Coot-tha, Brisbane.

Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens in Brisbane boasts a beautiful Japanese garden created around a lake. Skillfully maintained by one of their qualified gardeners, it was a gift from Japan at the time of World Expo 1988 in Brisbane. After World Expo came to an end it was literally picked up and moved to it's new location. Worth a visit if you come to Brisbane as is the rest of the Botanical Gardens with their enormous range of tropical and sub-tropical trees and shrubs Planetarium, and Greenhouse.

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow ..... and always hopefully!

This is probably the largest and best Franciscea (Brunsfelsia latifolia) I have ever seen. It was in full flower when I visited a good friend of ours back in spring. It's commonly known as Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. The flowers open up purple then fade to white over a few days. The flowers are sweetly perfumed.

When not in Japan do as the Japanese do!

This Japanese gardener, seen in the Ostrich position, was part of a team of five gardeners maintaining a section of the gardens at Tokyo Disney. Throughout Japan the gardeners go to their work equipped with the tools they need to complete the job. This man is wearing a belt that accommodates leather pouches for his grass shears, secateurs and folding saw. Because they operate as a team they are able to quickly move in and out of an area leaving behind them immaculate gardens for all the visitors to admire. Tokyo Disney has gardens that are so beautiful and well kept using Japanese garden tools...when only the best will do.

My favourite secateurs

We were just so impressed by these secateurs that we had to add them to our stock. Each pair has been hand-forged by master craftsmen using the slow tool method in a small family-owned forge hidden away in Japan. We were just rapt in the natural laced leather that encases the handles to cushion the grip. We were so impressed by how much pride the Japanese blacksmiths take in creating a tool to perfection.