Grass front planting - Kusasenzai

...Initially, autumn flowers such as chrysanthemums, bush clover, silver grass, and lady's mantle were popular, but by the Engi period (901-923), spring and summer herbs were also planted. Until the mid-Heian period, as seen in the Tale of Utsubo, front gardens and plants were treated separately, but later trees were included in the front garden, and in the late Heian period, the Eiga Monogatari, the original meaning is specifically called grass front garden. In any case, it is a common feature in Heian period gardens such as shinden-zukuri, and there are many examples of its use, such as in a corner of the south garden of the shinden, beside a water spout, at the base of a field line or a hill, or next to a standing stone in a dry landscape garden. ...

*Some of the terminology that refers to "kusazensai" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…当初は菊や萩，薄（すすき），女郎花（おみなえし）など秋の草花が好まれたが，延喜(901‐923)のころには春草，夏草も植えられるようになった。平安中期までは《宇津保物語》にみるように，前栽と植木は別個に扱われたが，のち前栽に樹木が含められるようになり，平安後期の《栄華物語》では本来のものを特に草前栽と称している。いずれにしても寝殿造など平安時代の庭園に普遍的なもので，寝殿南庭の一隅，遣水（やりみず）のほとり，野筋（のすじ）や築山の裾，枯山水様の立石に添えるなど，多くの用例がみられる。…

※「草前栽」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報