Joyful Friday GPODers!
The superb contributors we’ve had on Backyard Photograph of the Day have actually taken us all around the world. From house gardens to public parks and expansive botanical gardens, we’ve seen a plethora of flowers and design types from numerous corners of the globe. We proceed our world travels in the present day with the assistance of Helen Stephenson. Helen has shared her lovely house backyard within the Halton Area of Ontario, Canada with GPOD previously (Helen’s Largely Native Backyard), however in the present day she’s sharing photographs from a visit she took to Japan final fall.
Final November, I had the prospect to go to Japan (Tokyo and Kyoto). Sadly, that a part of Japan was having a late fall and the colors on the bushes hadn’t modified as a lot as in earlier years. Regardless of that, I used to be in a position to take a couple of good photographs of the maples simply beginning to flip colors in addition to different attention-grabbing plant photographs.
It was an incredible journey that I used to be lucky sufficient to have the ability to take!
The Imperial Palace in Tokyo. – As Helen mentions above, the autumn colour wasn’t on full show when she made her go to, however the wealthy custom of inventive pruning in Japan meant there was nonetheless loads of curiosity to admire. Right here you possibly can see a number of bushes with ‘cloud pruning’, a technique that’s fairly self-explanatory with clusters of bushes that seem like floating inexperienced clouds. Study extra about this method on this article from the Royal Horticultural Society: Cloud pruning.
One other view from the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. A very peaceable retreat in the course of a bustling metropolis, the innermost gardens of the palace can solely be accessed by means of guided excursions and on particular holidays, however the tranquil nature that surrounds within the “Outer Gardens” permit for simpler entry and a style of the stately grounds. Study extra in regards to the Imperial Palace right here: Go to the house of Japan’s Imperial household.
One other well-known inexperienced spot to flee the lights and crowds of Tokyo is Shinjuku Gyoen Nationwide Backyard. This metropolis park is likely one of the most iconic locations to see Japan’s cherry blossoms in spring, but it surely will need to have been way more peaceable and enjoyable outdoors of this “peak” time.
Like many massive public metropolis gardens, Shinjuku Gyoen is split into totally different sections which can be designed in distinct types. Other than the normal Japanese panorama design, one other space of the backyard is designed in a proper French backyard type (pictured above). One other house is finished in an English backyard type.
Even in a serious metropolis like Tokyo, ingenious individuals discover methods to infuse greenery into surprising locations. Helen says this “Residing Wall’ was on the skin of a industrial constructing in Tokyo. What a present to all that work and stay within the space!
The next have been taken in Kyoto.
Considered one of many bamboo forests. – If you happen to’ve heard of any bamboo forest, it could be the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Kyoto, with its winding strolling paths being probably the most photographed sights within the metropolis. Nevertheless, as Helen says, there are a lot of bamboo forests all through Kyoto and a few less-photographed areas are doubtless extra peaceable.
On the Kodaiji Temple grounds. – The grounds round this temple function tsukiyama-style gardens, or ‘hill gardens’. These gardens look to imitate pure landscapes on a smaller scale, this man-made hills and piles mimicking mountains and ponds of assorted sizes mimicking bigger our bodies of water like lakes and oceans.
Bushes and shrubs are chosen and planted to reflect the vegetation that may naturally develop in these areas. Study extra about tsukiyama gardens right here: Actual Japanese Gardens.
Maruyama Park within the Gion district of Kyoto. – One other park in Japan that’s well-known for its spring cherry blossom show, however is filled with historical past and curiosity that make it worthy of a go to in each season.
Taken within the Kibune space (north finish of Kyoto). – Appears to be like like Helen did get a bit glimmer of fall in Kyoto, the right backdrop to those unimaginable conventional gentle posts.
Lastly, one other spot within the Kibune space that appears to be a quiet second with nature amongst the entire busy sight seeing Helen was doing. And yet one more glimpse of spectacular fall colour, with the leaves of this tree resembling colourful paint strokes.
Thanks for sharing your spectacular tour of Tokyo and Kyoto, Helen! Japan is excessive on my journey bucket record, as I’m positive it’s for a lot of different readers, however the lengthy flights from North America do make it a extra daunting expedition! Getting this first-hand account is just not solely an amazing style of the character these cities have to supply, however are additionally an enormous motivator to chunk the bullet and e book that flight at some point!
Did you do any worldwide journey in 2024? Whether or not it was throughout the globe or simply throughout a border, we’d like to see that flowers and nature you skilled on this new vacation spot. Think about following the instructions beneath to submit photographs by way of e-mail, or ship me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad. Hope you all have a beautiful weekend!
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