Wordless Wednesday - Japanese Gardens

I took these photos earlier this year in the beautiful privately-owned Japanese Gardens behind my cottage. Wealthy china merchant Herbert Goode began developing the 2.5 hectare gardens after a visit to Japan in 1905, creating a miniature Japanese landscape on what had previously been open fields at Cottered, Hertfordshire.

Goode built a garden house on the site in the 1920s, and commissioned Japanese designer Kusumoto Seyemon to complete the garden layout between 1923 and 1926. Seyemon planted many native Japanese plants and incorporated a hill, a lake, streams, cascades and waterfalls in his design. Several authentic Japanese buildings, gates and arches were erected at this period, as well as stone lanterns and a tea house. Most of these original ornaments are now Grade II listed monuments.