盆栽系由中国传统的园林艺术变化而来。至于对观赏植物的栽培，起源于古代园林造景，以摹仿自然山水景色营造园林。夏有瑶参、商有鹿台、周有灵台。汉武帝在建章宫筑太液池，叠在为蓬莱、方丈、瀛台三山。北魏中期，宣武皇帝元恪所建景明寺和瑶光寺，寺里青林垂影，绿叶为文，青苔紫阁，浮道相通，虽外有四时，内无寒暑。房檐之外，皆是山池，遍布萑、蒲、菱、藕；紫甲黄鳞，出没于繁藻；青凫白雁，浮沉于绿水。

当你老了，头白了，睡意昏沉，

炉火旁打盹，请取下这部诗歌，

慢慢读，回想你过去眼神柔和，

回想它们昔日浓重的阴影；

多少人爱你青春欢畅的时辰，

爱慕你的美丽，假意或真心，

只有一人爱你那朝圣者的灵魂，

爱你衰老了的脸上痛苦的皱纹；

垂下头来，红光闪耀的炉子旁，

凄然地轻轻诉说那爱情的消逝，

在头顶的山上它缓缓踱着步子，

在一群星星中间隐藏着脸庞。

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look 　

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, 　

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead 　

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.