 Walking forward there is the cedar wood gate to the garden. The gate design was molded from after an actual gate in Kyoto. Located next to the entrance is a guest register were visitors of the garden may sign on the day of their visit. Plants near the gate entry include:
- Japanese Black Pines (3 nicely shaped)
- Japanese Maple (near lantern) (bloodgood red)
- Chinese Wisteria (left side)
- Japanese Maple (left side)
- Star Jasmine
- Golden Bamboo
 Just inside the gate are two Koma-Inu or "Lion Dogs". They are mythological animals and are posted at the gate to ward off evil spirits. Some believe that they are here to keep the balance of the garden. This entails keeping away both good and bad spirits for the purpose of maintaining the garden. If they were to scare away only evil spirits, then the garden would be a virtual paradise and unfortunately, there is no paradise on earth. One is speaking and one is listening. Two is an even number but each one of these animals is counted individually to maintain the odd number theme of the garden. Plants inside the gate are:
Left side:
- Sago Palms (actually cyades which are also known as fossil plants. Plants are older than trees. The structure of these plants hasn't changed in billions of years)
- Heavenly Bamboo (red berries)
- Mondo Grass (common groundcover)
- Black Bamboo (rare-one reason is because they grow very slowly. They grow only a few inches every year and are therefore, quite old)
- Japanese Black Pine (at Y in walkway)
- Azalea Formosa
Right side:
- Azaleas Fielder's White
- Fern Pines (not a true pine)
- Flowering peach
- Metake or Arrow Bamboo (rare)
- Chain Fern
- Japanese Black Pine
Imbedded in the pathway before you is a stone carving. The step-stone is a panel of a mythical scene, depicting a dragon weaving its way through the clouds. According to legend they foretell the coming of prosperity and supposedly control the wind and the rain.
The tile-roofed entrance, which was made in Japan, provides a first glimpse of the lake, the waterfall and the arched bridge, all framed by the bonsai-shaped black pine. The lake is really the focal point of this strolling-type garden. The multi-trunk tree in the Bermuda-grass lawn is the Chinese Flame Tree. The Chinese Flame Tree is a member of the golden chain family and it has small yellow flowers at the end of the summer, followed by reddish papery, lantern-like fruits in autumn. |
