"Ted Mittelstaedt" wrote in
:

If you really wanted to increase the "naturalness" of a
garden you would make it as close to a native-species area
as possible. That means, it would NOT have a Japanese
flavor unless, of course, it was in Japan.

that's untrue. one can easily make a "Japanese style" (or
flavor, if you prefer) garden area using only species native
to the local area. he didn't say it was a "Japanese garden",
he said it was Japanese *style*. one can borrow a style &
adapt it to native species very easily.
if he wants a garden, he isn't going to make it look like a
weed choked swamp, now is he? he's going to clear paths, set
beds, plant trees & shrubs for 'backbone'... the Japanese do
have a knack for naturalistic gardens, along with the very
stylized Zen gardens, you know.
lee