Shisendo-in

Shisendo-in, Kyoto.

One of my favorite gardens in Kyoto, tucked away in the foothills to the NE of the city, it's full of remarkable evergreen azalea karikomi (clipped shrubs) that create entire landscapes within the garden. Come May and June, the whole lot erupts in an explosion of pink, red and white flowers, but for the rest of the year it's kept well clipped. The gardeners use long handled shears and traditional bamboo tripod ladders, but most gardeners nowadays use modern aluminium ones.