But first, I took a picture of the most massive Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea) I've ever seen across from the street from the Starbuck's there.
Hakone Garden dates back to 1918 when a pair of wealthy San Franciscans bought 18 acres of mixed oak-redwood forest on a logged out hillside. They hired Japanese architects and designers to build the garden; construction was completed by 1929. Ownership passed through different hands until 1966 when the city of Saratoga bought the property for $145,000. In 2000, the gardens were turned over to the private Hakone Foundation set up with seed money from the Packards. Admission is $5.
Lots of turtles and fish in the pond.
With all that algae, the water was probably getting slightly anaerobic. There was a lot of action by the waterfall.
Some of the Japanese maples have massive trunks.
And this wisteria allee was quite something.
Lots of interesting conifer dwarfing going on.
Can you see the bamboo and twine trusses used to shape the plant?
I should like to try that myself one day.
Behind the garden, the landscape reverts back to California.