Domma33
Newly Registered
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 7:11 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

New Member, New Gardener, No Idea :(

Hi everyone,

I am a new member from Melbourne, Australia. I am just starting a Japanese influenced garden (not brave enough to call it a Japanese Garden just yet).

I am having a really hard time with stone placement. I have put a number of stones in but they don't feel right. I have looked all over the net and although there are many suggestions on the principals of stone setting, I have seen very little in the way of examples.

It seems from this site and many others that stone setting is one of the most (if not the most) important element so I don't want to screw it up before I even begin.

Any suggestions welcome :oops:

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Handsomeryan
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Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 5:57 pm
Location: Mt. Airy MD, USA

I think you have the wrong attitude. When it comes to placement of things like stones in a garden you can't think of it as "these are in the wrong place and I need to move them to the right place".

Can you post any pictures? I'd love to see what you've got going.

cynthia_h
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Posts: 7500
Joined: Tue May 06, 2008 7:02 pm
Location: El Cerrito, CA

Maybe [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/japanese/]these articles[/url], written by "Helpful Gardener" Scott R himself, will give you some help.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

Domma33
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Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 7:11 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Hi Guys,

Thanks Cynthia, I had read those articles from Scott and have done quite a bit of reading on the subject and they were very helpful, just not for stone setting : )

Thanks for your feedback Ryan... I do have some photos of when I first started and also with the placement of the stones. I have just begun with a few plants but like I said, the stones are doing my head in. Maybe it's because with not many plants they are the focus, but its frustrating me.

I guess over time it will evolve and I may move the stones a number of times until I am satisfied.

Ryan, can you tell me how to post images to this particular site???

Cheers,

cynthia_h
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Posts: 7500
Joined: Tue May 06, 2008 7:02 pm
Location: El Cerrito, CA

Please check out the webmaster's [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=23]Tips and Tricks for New Members[/url]. One of them deals with posting photos.

:D

Cynthia

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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

I've never done a Japanese garden myself, but I love looking at them. I think the main principal is less is more. I'd look for one great boulder to be a focal point and 2-3 lesser stones and then call it quits. You want to leave a lot of empty space. The focal boulder should be placed asymmetrically. My thought, if the garden has a front that it would mainly be viewed from would be to have the boulder behind the midline and a little bit to one side of center.

But it is all about what feels right to you. Just sit with your arrangement. If it makes you feel peaceful and at home, it is right, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

dirtyfingers
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Posts: 87
Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:59 pm
Location: Left coast

Getting that natural look isn't easy! :shock:

I did a service call at a Japanese company here in So Cal once. The center of the first floor behind the receptionist was a Japanese rock garden. The receptionist said that the owner of the company flew in from Japan to personally supervise the placement of the rocks with a giant crane. It looks really beautiful!

I scored some large black lava rocks for free and have them stored at my son's house. We are in the process of fixing up his yard, front and back. I'm just trying to get curb appeal going for him but yes, rock placement is not easy. I'm on my third attempt now! We are not going for that Japanese garden look but rocks do lend a pleasing appeal.

Piet Patings
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Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:00 am

rainbowgardener wrote:.. I think the main principal is less is more.
This is very much related and limited to the Zen-garden type, I.e. dry rock garden, karesansui. Some Japanese gardens can be extremely crowded.

Stone placement (not to mention selection) all very much depends on where you plan to place them. And yes, not at all an easy task.

Here are some examples that may help you get the right "feel" or better "fuzei" (in Sakuteiki "aesthetic sense") [url=https://www.zen-garden.org/html/page_obj_tsukiyama.htm]Tsukiyama and stone setting[/url].



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