The care of the garden is extremely essential. Cutting, pruning and the removing of the old and dead leaves should not be forgotten each year. This in some instances entails great patience and labour. As in the case of pine-trees it is a tedious work, to say the least, to remove all the old needles and pick the tips of young shoots to preserve the shape and energy of the tree. The same thing is done with hinoki (chamï¾µcyparis obtusa) in order that those evergreens may be in fresh verdure, especially at the New Year's time. Fruits, which render no artistic value to the garden, are plucked off in order to save the vitality of the tree.
