STYLE : GARDENS : Custom-Built

Traditional Chinese gardens are seldom found in Western culture, but they require little maintenance, use minimal water and can be any size. So after a trip to Asia in 1988, I adapted the Chinese motif to my 16-by-16-foot back yard in Cypress.

Moon gates (which have circular openings that help create the illusion of space) and viewing stations have replaced a Spanish patio and breezeway. Around them I installed lanterns, a small fishpond (for goldfish, not the more expensive koi ) and carefully selected rocks and boulders.

Every item in a Chinese garden has aesthetic value, religious significance, philosophical meaning and cultural importance. For instance, because it remains green all year, bamboo represents eternal life. The trees and shrubs I planted include Japanese black pine, flowering peach and cherry, camellias, chrysanthemums and, of course, waterlilies.

According to traditional design, a garden is approached from a certain angle to allow only a gradual view of the entire garden, so I designed garden paths to lead from one viewing station to the next. As seasons change, each station develops a new vista. I also built a small Chinese pavilion where I can sit, drink tea and watch the landscape change.

The one thing my garden lacked was added last summer. All Chinese gardens have names, but mine didn’t until a large bird decided to drop in for a lunch of goldfish from the pond. My garden is now known as the Garden of the Great Blue Heron.