Japanese Garden (picture heavy)

Earlier on in the year N bought a trip to a Japanese garden as a present for PJ's birthday and we have finally managed to get to see it (We also have a visit to a stately home and boat cruise to come).
We spotted the small gateway into the garden, cruised past and found the carpark (field) a small entrance leading into a barn with a passageway to the garden.  We followed the sign to pay, situated in a small cafe so we stopped for a coffee and a chat with Mr Maitreya - click here - then proceeded to view his garden.




We were greeted by this blue dragon in his island setting so we guessed he was heralding a good day - The Year of the Dragon is a lucky year!!


Here is a view of the pool...........

The bridges were strong enough to support us although I was a little bit unsure at first but then the fish came into view.........









Little paths led off to interesting sights like this tea room............

and more pools............










and a small rill running cheerfully through the greenery...............




........... into another pool..........

.......... where the pond skaters went about their business........

We spotted this visitor to the garden but then he was gone, so I followed him trying to catch him keeping still long enough to take a photo!!!

The tree shapes were as amazing as I expected........







........ from the Rhus on the left to the Forsythia on the right ...........















......... from the firs to the elms.............










Although it was a bit cloudy for most of our visit, the sun did come out for a short while and we sat on a bench, looking at this view, listening to the birds and watching swallows flying past........

I think these are slightly mis-placed but the 'stinky bugs' found them attractive!!!
They were situated just outside the house which contained the Crystal Garden, the photo of which does not show the real beauty of the place.  Our host says he spent about £30,000 creating this and it certainly shows, some of the crystals were magnificently large!

Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad, 

whatever is done and suffered by her creatures.

All scars she heals,

whether in rocks or water or sky or hearts.

- John Muir, Scottish-born American Naturalist, 1838-1914