The Kyoto Moss Temple: Steve Jobs’s garden of simplicity
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:
February 24, 1955
Dearest reader,
On this day, we celebrate the birth of Steve Jobs, a visionary whose passion for simplicity and elegance extended beyond technology into the serene world of gardens.
Steve once declared, “The most sublime thing I’ve ever seen are the gardens around Kyoto,” a sentiment many would echo with reverence.
Among these legendary gardens, the Saiho-ji—affectionately known as Kokedera or the Moss Temple—captivated Steve’s heart most deeply. Created in the 14th century by the Zen priest, poet, calligrapher, and gardener Muso Soseki during the Kamakura Period, Saiho-ji stands as a masterpiece of Zen garden design. Its lush grounds boast over 120 species of moss, lending the temple its beloved nickname and creating an ethereal, verdant carpet that has inspired countless visitors, including musical icon David Bowie.
The garden itself is a harmonious blend of art, spirituality, and nature, with its iconic Golden Pond shaped like the Chinese character for “heart” or “mind,” surrounded by tea houses and moss-covered paths inviting quiet reflection. Steve Jobs was more than a casual admirer—his own Palo Alto garden was entrusted to the skilled English garden designer Penelope Hobhouse, who crafted for him a traditional English cottage garden, blending natural beauty with mindful design.
Jobs famously said,
“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks.
But... if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works.”
This insight rings especially true in gardening, where balance and function coexist with aesthetics.
How often do we gardeners chase both beauty and harmony, seeking to weave form with purpose?
Can we, in our own garden corners, channel a bit of Steve’s spirit—blending simplicity with profound depth?
Reflect upon your favorite garden moments: do they resonate with elegant design, or is their beauty born of unexpected function?
The gardens of Kyoto remind us that true elegance is a living dialogue between nature and human touch, a lesson Steve Jobs cherished deeply.
