Just because the trees are not from Japan, it doesn’t mean the integrity and taste of the Japanese garden are compromised…thinking like a Japanese gardener, practicing the composition of Japanese garden design, applying the practice, and the consistent fostering of the garden are what keeps the authenticity. –Takeshi Kato, garden craftsman, Ueyakato Landscape Co. Ltd, Kyoto Visitors to the Portland Japanese Garden frequently ask whether all our plants are Japanese natives. The answer is that many are, but some aren’t. The Pacific Northwest Japanese garden is an original form with its own history and identity, and not merely a piece… 

ARTICLE BY: VANESSA GARDNER NAGEL Vanessa Gardner Nagel, APLD, NCIDQ is a member of HPSO, and a Nationally-Certified Landscape Designer, Author, and Lecturer. She’s served as a Design judge for Garden Design Magazine at 2018 NWFGS, and the upcoming 2018 APLD International Design Competition. She owns Seasons Garden Design, an award-winning, sustainable landscape design company serving the Portland, OR and SW Washington regions. *** Sometimes designers have to travel far away to discover great garden ideas. A few years ago while visiting Rome, I saw an intriguing soil retention method on the Palatine Hill. There, 5” diameter logs were driven…