Komainu have returned to the Japanese Overlook Garden!

by Robert Gutowski, Director of Public Programs at Morris Arboretum

Komainu have returned to the Japanese Overlook Garden in the English Park. How did they get there and where have they been? This story could begin about 2,500 years ago in India and follow the path of Buddhism and its variants through time and across China, through Korea and into Japan. More recently, John Morris purchased a pair of “Shrine Dogs” in 1912 from the Boston office of Yamanaka & Co., an antique dealer based in Japan with international distribution. The pair came from a Japanese temple in Nara and is dated to about 1700.  John Morris noted “They are certainly very rare in design and condition.” With the guidance of Y. Muto, a consulting Japanese landscape designer and Frank Gould, Head Gardener at Compton, the komainu were placed in the Japanese Overlook Garden as a part of the original design. Their return restores an important sense of place and visual reference points in the core of this very special garden.

Komainu is a Japanese term often literally translated as “Korean-dog” in reference to its origin. Komainu are typically pairs of shrine guardians set along the approach to the temple to ward of evil spirits. They have become iconic figures in Japan. They are distinguished from each other by the open and closed mouths. One often has a horn on its head. Gender is not so clearly distinguished as in their Chinese antecedent, the Foo-lions or dogs. In the 9th century the open mouth figure was referred to as shishi (lion) and the closed mouth figure as komainu (Korean-dog). Over time, the pair was referred to collectively and individually as komainu. The open and closed mouths reference the a-un posture or sound, the “alpha” and “omega” from Sanskrit.

The image above was sent to John Morris from Yamanaka & Co.  prior to their purchase for Compton.

During the Second World War, many of the Asian garden ornaments were removed from the garden.  While several lanterns and other feature have disappeared, the komainu were eventually relocated to the Bloomfield Barn. Their condition was such that a return to the garden setting was not possible. In 2012 replicas were cast of the originals by Campania International, Inc. through the generosity of Peter Cilio and his family. A gift from Christine James and her father to restore the Japanese Overlook Garden included placement of the replicate komainu in the garden where Section Head Kate Deregibus oversaw their installation with staff and stone masons from Joseph Monero & Sons.

The original komainu are now safely displayed in the Horticulture Center at Bloomfield Farm. Horticulture and Facilities staff lifted them into place using teamwork, muscle, ingenuity and a mobile hydraulic jack from the garage. 

If you haven’t been to the Japanese Overlook Garden, it may be time for your return.

Installing the new komainu in the Japanese Overlook Garden

Up On the Roof

Louise Clarke, Aerial Gardener

Tradescantia ohiensis

Ohio spiderwort is an eastern North American perennial that blooms from May through July on the arboretum’s intensive green roof. Remembering this as a shady resident of my mother’s garden, I was skeptical of its performance on a green roof.

Spiderwort has adapted to the roof’s sunny, hot and dry growing conditions with aplomb. Its three-petaled blue flowers last only one day, like miniature daylilies. It receives no special care, other than being cut back in mid-summer after its blooms are spent. With adequate moisture, it may provide a second flush of flowers for fall. In garden beds Tradescantia may grow to 3’, but its stature is reduced on the green roof due to less moisture and leaner soil.

Young Red-winged Blackbird at Morris Arboretum

Tracy Beerley, The McCausland Natural Areas Horticulturist
Colonies of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) arrived at the Morris Arboretum in early Spring. Within the Arboretum the birds are most common in the wetland and floodplain area.

The female spends three to six days building a nest constructed with grasses, sedges, mosses, and lined with mud. A clutch of eggs are incubated by the female and typically hatch in eleven to twelve days, the young birds are ready to fledge the nest two weeks after hatching.

This young fledgling is trying out his legs and wings for the first time. A male red-winged blackbird is watching overhead. You can hear his alarm call as he warns possible predators. The alarm call and nesting in groups are traits that reduce the risk of individual predation by increasing the number of alert and vocal parents.

Femal Red-winged Blackbird. Photo credit: Ruth Pfeffer

Male Red-winged Blackbird. Take note of the distinct red shoulder patch on the male. Photo credit: Ruth Pfeffer



Up On the Roof

Louise Clarke, Aerial Gardener
If you visited the Arboretum during Bloomfield Farm Day, perhaps you noticed these cheery yellow flowers along the lower edge of the intensive green roof.

The eastern prickly pear, Opuntia humifusa, or devil’s tongue, is a native cactus of eastern North America. The green stems are flattened into pads armed with fine spines that easily dislodge, having an affinity for passing ankles. Last year’s edible red fruits persist through spring where they contrast with this year’s lemon blooms. Requiring full sun and a well drained location, the prickly pear was planted on the lower edge of the roof to spare the horticulturists a sharp surprise when performing maintenance.

The Swan Pond

The Swan Pond at Morris Arboretum is one of our members' favorite places in the Arboretum. The Swan Pond is in a central location at the Arboretum (see map), very close to the Japanese Hill Garden. Some of our "Great Trees" are located right here - a Dwarf eastern white pine (Pinus strobus 'Nana), Weeping Canada hemlock (Tsuga canadensis f. pendula) and a Cilician fir (Aibes cilicica). There are also some beautiful ferns growing around the Swan Pond right now.

There is also a lot of wildlife that can be seen at the Swan Pond, including our new Mute Swans, Flora and Fauna. Enjoy these pictures, all taken in the last three days, starting with a pileated woodpecker one of our birding instructors spotted over the weekend.  This is a very large North American woodpecker almost crow-sized. Adults are 16 to 19 in long.

Flora and Fauna (the new Mute Swans), American Robin, Mallard, Canada Goose and its gosling all pose for a picture.

Snakes.

A gosling.

Wetlands Are Nurserys

The wetlands serve as a nursery for ducks and other wildlife

Tracy Beerley, The McClausland Natural Lands Horticulurist
Wetland ecosystems serve as a nursery for wildlife. The habitat provided by the plants and other wetland features make it a safe place to nest and raise young. 

Listen and Look

Tracy Beerley, The McCausland Natural Lands Horticulturist
On your next visit to the Morris Arboretum's wetlands be sure to listen and look carefully for these creatures in disguise.