A photograph should “work,” should have meaning, in isolation. I suppose that really means that it should work without any context other than shared culture. Without my words, you can know that this is a Japanese Garden (though perhaps not in Oregon), know that it’s an artificial simulacrum of some elegant natural setting—but can the sense of calm in being in that place be conveyed by the image? (I suspect that this aspect might be the easiest to convey.)
Decaseconds 
It’s funny that photos seem to work best in isolation, when entirely wrenched from context. Without your framing text (and possibly the railing) I would have guessed “lush tropical paradise.” But now I know it’s only garden in Oregon (itself a lush tropical paradise, at least from this Minnesotan’s perspective). Certainly the sense of calm comes through. Thanks for posting.
[…] Roots draped elegantly over rocks beside a burbling brook create the more-naturally-occurring equivalent of a Japanese garden. […]