And finally, this is a weeping Black Spruce after allowing the leader to grow downwards along the ground forming a ground cover. Visible on the lower right is part of the plant flowing over the rock. Not visible is more foliage obscured by the yellowing Japanese Irises. The groundcover created by the spruce is meant to mimic flowing water complimenting the fountain-like growth habit of the main tree. As an aside, one ‘rule’ of Japanese gardening is to mimic water, either still or flowing, if real water is not available. The pebble beds of Zen gardens are raked to form concentric ridges representative of ripples.
