Of all the plant material in a Japanese garden, the most basic are the evergreens; along with rocks and water these provide the garden’s framework. Not only do the evergreens shape the garden through the year but their darker presence provides a backdrop for the lighter, brighter colors of the flowering trees/shrubs and autumn foliage. 

Creating aged, asymmetrical visually interesting trees is the goal of Japanese gardeners. A consciousness of the shape of space lies behind much of the intricate pruning practised for centuries in Japan and for the past forty years in the Nikka Yuko Garden. Observe our Masters pruning to open up the tree or shrub so layers of space are visible between the branches. The space is there to enhance the natural shape of the branch – but it is also there for itself alone.

Masa Mizuno, Master Japanese Gardener joins Al White, Nikka Yuko’s resident  Master Pruning Technician & ISA Certified Arborist,  for two weeks each year. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to observe two Masters at work in Nikka Yuko Garden and gain an appreciation for the level of attention and commitment it takes to keep a garden of this type in top condition. Expect ladders!

Please note Mr. White works in the garden weekdays from April to October and would be pleased to answer any questions you may have

In contrast to the evergreen trees, which dominate the Japanese garden and give it its aura of permanence, deciduous trees provide more transient pleasures.  Maples are used for their distinctive foliage, graceful shapes and delicately cut leaves plus the tracery of their bare branches in winter.

The true Japanese gardener prunes not only to keep trees neat and well-proportioned but to bring out their inherent beauty, to emphasise the character of a particular plant, to reveal the grace of its branches silhouetted against the sky or dipping toward the surface of a pond. There are many Japanese pruning techniques, most of them centuries old.

Masa Mizuno, Master Japanese Gardener joins Al White, Nikka Yuko’s resident  Master Pruning Technician & ISA Certified Arborist,  for two weeks each year. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to observe two Masters at work in Nikka Yuko Garden and gain an appreciation for the level of attention and commitment it takes to keep a garden of this type in top condition. Expect ladders!