Gardening: Rocks and a soft place

JUST what it is that makes one garden great and another, while carefully laid out and well maintained, not quite so special is a question worth considering.

The best gardens, perhaps, are those that soothe and calm as well as excite and intrigue, that speak eloquently of the culture in which they have been created and reflect its history.

Among the greatest are those, surely, that move us to tears.

You'll empathise if you've visited the Moss Garden, or Saiho-ji, nestled in the foothills of the mountains that ring Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. Possibly the world's most serene landscape, this 2ha, cathedral-like garden has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1994. The most extraordinary feature of Saiho-ji is the 120 species of moss -- in a variety of greens, from glistening emerald to brilliant yellow-green -- all of which appeared spontaneously.

In 1339 a leading Zen priest and gifted landscape gardener, Muso Soseki (1275-1351), set about reconstructing a garden first built on the site in the Nara period (710-794) that had been severely damaged during Japan's fierce civil wars.

Even though very different in atmosphere from other dry garden landscapes, Saiho-ji is considered the precursor to all kare sansui gardens in Japan, including the more famous rock garden at Ryoan-ji. Forming an integral part of the garden, but not its sole focus, the rock arrangements at Saiho-ji are softened by their coating of moss.

It is thought that the Muromachi period (1333-1573) Ashikaga shoguns, Yoshimitsu and Yoshimasa, were inspired by these rock formations, and by the Muso aesthetic, when they constructed the showier gold pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) and the silver pavilion (Ginkaku-ji).

Today owned by members of the Rinzai Zen Buddhist sect, the Saiho-ji garden, no doubt very different from that designed in the 14th century, incorporates several moods. First, the visitor enters a void: an expanse of white gravel, which is bordered simply by hedges clipped into the shape of clouds. Nearby is an exquisite, austere wooden temple hall that encapsulates perfectly the Japanese ideal of kirei sabi: beauty accompanied by the patina of age and personifying the ideal of pastoral simplicity.

There, the visitor takes part in a short ceremony in preparation for the contemplative nature of the main part of the garden: a mantra is chanted by the priests, while the visitor copies out, in calligraphy, an ancient text. The process is intended to purify the mind before the visitor walks through a small gate, into another world. This entrance is reached via a curving path of stepping stones, forcing a slowing of pace, ready for the calm experience that is to follow.

In this lower garden, which wraps around a meandering stream, light reflects on the still water and on the velvety moss that has spread naturally across undulating contours in the dappled shadows of the forest of black-stemmed pines. Islands in the water, each named, represent the Buddhist notion of paradise, while rock formations near the islands are, it is imagined, boats on the way to, or from, paradise.

A modest tea-house, just 4 1/2 tatami mats in size and the essence of refined rusticity, rests in a shadowy grove. This tea garden, where the serene ritual of the Japanese tea ceremony (cha no yu) is performed, perfectly exemplifies the Japanese ideal of refinement, understatement and mellow age. Again, a narrow, winding garden path, engendering quiet concentration, prepares the participant for the tea ceremony.

In this supremely restful atmosphere only the occasional fallen, crimson bloom of a camellia interrupts the mood of contemplation, simplicity and connection with nature.

The random sound of the bamboo deer scarer is all that breaks the silence.

The upper garden climbs through a forest of giant bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) to a low hill and past a dry waterfall. Here, flat-topped rocks are in sympathy with the horizontal lines in this country of islands. They contrast with the vertical rocks in the Japanese gardens that are inspired by the soaring landscape of China and more elaborate gardens of the Southern Song period.

I've heard that Saiho-ji is at its best just after rain; that I want to experience.

PRUNINGS
Is anyone else concerned about their magnolias? My mature M. grandiflora 'Little Gem' -- which I have always considered foolproof -- has developed, during the past month, some crisped, brown clusters of leaves. I am hoping they have merely been burned by tea-light candles that I hung through its branches recently for a wedding in the garden. I am praying it is not the soil fungus that was introduced into Australian a few years ago and that is hitting golf course fairways and trees in parks and gardens.

Selling car hints & tips

The process of selling your car can be a tricky one, so here are some hints and tips to help you get the best result.

ADVERTISING

If you decide to sell your car yourself, the best ways of doing it are with a newspaper ad and on the internet. But no matter what method you choose, you'll get more attention if your advertisement is clear, concise and correct. Carsguide.com.au offers exceptional exposure now for FREE. Click here to find out more.

WRITING THE AD

* Be precise in your description of your car, detailing the make and model, year of manufacture, engine and transmission details, major options and its general condition. Include odometer reading, and highlight if it is low for the age.


* Avoid abbreviations and jargon that might make it hard to understand for the reader.


* Keep the words to a minimum, 20 to 30 should be enough to get your message across.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I ASK

Putting an unrealistically high price in your ad will almost certainly mean you'll waste your weekends waiting for the phone to ring, but put too low a price in it will have you rushed off your feet by tyre kickers hoping for a bargain.

* In the weeks leading up to running your ad scan the classifieds and websites and get an idea of the prices being asked for similar makes and models as yours.


* You can also get current values for your car from carsguide. Click here to value your car now.

PREPARING FOR SALE

To create a good impression on a potential buyer you need to prepare your car so it's looking its best when the buyer arrives.

* Consider having it detailed by a professional detailer. For a couple of hundred dollars you can have your car cleaned from top to bottom in a way that would take you a couple of weekends.


* If you opt to clean it yourself make sure you clean in all the hard to get at areas, like door openings, boot openings, engine bay.


* Never leave anything lying around the interior or boot making them look untidy in the eyes of the buyer. Loose items can rattle and bang around and create a poor impression on a test drive.


* If you're a smoker clean the ashtray and make sure the interior doesn't smell of cigarette smoke. There's no better way of putting a buyer off than to show them a car that smells of tobacco. If it does smell get a deodoriser and leave it in the car for a week or two before advertising it in the hope the smell will go away. Don't leave the deodoriser in the car when showing it to a potential buyer.


* Wash and polish the exterior including the wheels, windows and all chrome or stainless trim. Clean up any residue of polish after you're finished to avoid giving the impression you've just cleaned the car up to sell it.


* Consider having the engine oil changed a week or two before selling it so it looks nice and clean if the buyer pulls the dip stick. Doing it a week or two before will mean it won't look too fresh on the day.


* Make sure the windscreen washer reservoir and radiator are topped up to the marks so it looks like you have cared about your car.


* Take the time to inflate the tyres to the correct pressure. There's nothing worse than going on a test drive and being shaken and shimmied because the owner didn't set the tyre pressures.


* Have the car's service record on hand to show the potential buyer that you have had the car serviced regularly. It's another way of demonstrating you've looked after it.


* Also have the car's title on hand to show that you are the owner of the car you're selling

Girl, 11, launches $10m KFC lawsuit

An 11-year-old Sydney girl is suing fast food chain KFC for just over $10 million, claiming she was poisoned at one of its restaurants.

Monika Sumaan arrived at the New South Wales Supreme Court this morning in a wheelchair.

She has acquired spastic quadriplegia and a profound intellectual disability.

The court has heard that her condition was due to salmonella poisoning from a contaminated KFC product called a 'twister.'

She ordered the product from the Villawood outlet in Sydney's south west in October 2005.

The next day she was vomiting and had diarrhoea. Her parents and brother were also sick after sharing her twister.

The family's lawyer, Anthony Bartley SC, told the court that Monika Sumann had been an extremely bright and active young girl before her illness.

KFC is accused of breaching its duty of care and the Trade Practices Act.

The court heard that a company review conducted last week gave the Villawood outlet a performance ranking of 41 per cent.

That is regarded as a breakdown standard.

The hearing continues.