C hinese gardens favor plants and trees that tradition and history have imparted with symbolism.
Designers prefer more natural-looking perennial flowers over annuals.
I n a Chinese garden, look neither for the lawns of the English garden nor the precise lines of the French garden. T he Scotch pine is a very important plant, representing longevity and the struggle for survival. T he magnolia has traditionnaly represented wealth. It is also the emblem of Shangai. The azalea and the cuckoo are said to be brother and sister since, in April, the bird sings its mournful song on the flowering branches of this plant.