It's so beautiful. Before long nature surrounded the house with a living green carpet with a velvety surface that tempts a visitor to shed shoes. Bridge to tranquility Next door, the Japanese garden created by George Wilbur also appeals to a tranquillity of spirit. Modeled after gardens that he had seen on visits to Japan, this peaceful place lulls the visitor with the quiet murmur of a waterfall near the small arched bridge. Seven years in the making, this taste of Oriental culture is entered by a tall Torii gate and lighted by the chunky stone lanterns favored in Japan.
Water lilies dot the surface of the pool, in which Japanese carp circle.
Hosta and ferns, small azalea and nandina plants, and Japanese iris are spaced among the large stones that structure the garden. Wilbur hand-picked each stone of the ton and a half that were delivered to the site by crane. He also dug the pond and stream and poured the concrete that forms the base. Then he managed to maneuver the really huge stones into the positions that he wanted. Even now he occasionally adds a new stone from the remnants hidden away over the hill.