Every Garden Would Boast at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

I'm not sure that the shoofly plant (Nicandra Physalodes) truly possesses all the qualities attributed to it. If it really lived up to its name, every garden would boast 20 or 30 plants because whiteflies are believed to eschew the foliage and stay away from any garden containing the plant. Shooflies grow to a height of 3 feet. The light green ovate leaves have a toothed edge. Flowers are small and bell shaped, violet with a white throat, and open only for a few hours at midday. The developing fruits, each enclosed by sharply defined papery sheaths, are the most interesting aspect of the plant. They are shaped like either the headdress on Ming the Merciless' daughter in Flash Gordon, or the shoulder pads on a medieval Japanese knight. Germination takes 15 to 20 days. Plant 18 inches apart. Shooflies are hardy annuals.

The inclusion of an arresting object within a small garden is an excellent way of detracting the eye from adjacent buildings and into the garden itself. The focal point in this garden is an ornate wrought-iron seat, which leads the eye down the garden. The rather austere rectangular lawn is surrounded by a mass of pretty, shrubby little plants, which together help to soften the overall look of the garden.

There are many ways of increasing the sense of depth in a garden. Vistas can be emphasized and "lengthened" by stressing the distant perspective. Eye-catching features can be used to draw the eye away into the distance, but there is no need to rely solely on the contents of your garden to do this. Make use of the landscape outside: let the outside world become the focus of your garden vista. If you are fortunate enough to have a garden with an extensive view, make the most of it. Use trees and shrubs to frame a glimpse of the scene beyond the garden.