As Japanese Gardens go, that looks like a goodie. I've been working on a set of good reasons to get back up to Minnesota this summer and, as we maintain a photo archive of Japanese Gardens and we don't have that one, it's one more thing to add to the list. (Pack the fly rods and don't forget the camera stuff...)

The climate right there must be pretty good as far as giving those plants just the right dose of winter to make them turn out right. The warmer the climate, the tougher it is to do a Japanese Garden with the appropriate plants...and I don't want to twll you what a heat wave can do to a koi pond...let's just say that it can be devastating (and disgusting!).

Love the kilted gaijin in the garden photo!

Best

AA