2003 Volume 66 Issue 5 Pages 461-464
This paper involves the planting design and using of Musa spp., an important and a special plant for Chinese gardens. Through literature studying and observation on gardens of Suzhou, the major results of the findings are: (1) It began from at least 2100 years ago to plant Musa spp. in imperial gardens in the Han Dynasty (B.C.206-A.D.220). Then, this plant was being used in imperial and private gardens from the Jin Dynasty (255-420). (2) Musa spp. not only have special tree-form, fresh and green stems and leave, but also can demonstrate the landscape in tropical subtropical land rather than Cycas revolute and Trachycarpus spp., etc. And Chinese cultured people like enjoying the sound beat by rain, the form swung by wind and the shadow by sunlight in day and by moonlight in night. (3) The typical methods of planting design were usually planting Musa spp. together with strange rocks, with Firmiana platanifolia, with bamboo, etc. (4) The places planting Musa spp. were inside the gardent’s doors, near the front of windows, under the side of roof and corridor, near the railing, near the steps and near the stream, etc.
