More pictures from my garden...

[MrNorth]

Hi!!

Yesterday I decided to take some more photos, so we can discuss if it is at all possible to make something nice out of it.... I admit western gardens (aspecially new ones) are tricky to design... but I have faith

Ok here we go




I rather like this view... there is a sense of balance... (perhaps u don't agree lol). The only disturbing view is the garage wall where the small window is...




Here is a closeup of this area... I was thinking about making a combined veggie garden (with bamboo fence) and bamboo + some azalea. Or perhaps I should just forget about this view and just add cobblestones? This wall has sun all day!




This is a pic of the front side of my garden! I'm rather satisfied with it... and it will look a LOT better when the plants get bigger. Right now it looks rather "constructed" Perhaps something is missing?



Here is another closeup of the pond... I'm not sure how to refine it any more... although it doesnt feel 100 % in balance.... Can u find the disturbing element? I have been watching it for hours... I know something is missing, or can be removed, but what?!


and finally the last pic with a question/discussion attached to it This is the front of my garden.... below my kitchen windows. I have for the past months trying decide what to do here... leave it, add stones, add a bench... I wish I had a japanese gardener to ask!!!! lol...



Okay enough with the design questions... DO you know what the problem is with this holly fern? It is at a shaded location and I add water every day




Here are some flower pics:

azalea



more azalea

magnolia



Thats it for now

yours
Henrik

[MrNorth]

[MrNorth]

Oh looks like I posted too quick... and I can't seem to edit the post.

What I wanted to write after the smiley was this:

I understand that no one can provide a full detailed design document of my entire garden, thats not my intention. What I'm interested in is to create a discussion on the composition of the different views on my photos... wabi, sabi etc... About the balance in them. What is missing, what should be removed. Japanese gardening is not an exact science so therefor the discussions can be so much more interesting. And it is always interesting to get comments and suggestions from the more trained eyes here

matane
Henrik

[The Helpful Gardener]

Sorry Mr North, I have been VERY busy with work and haven't been here for a while...

Pictures are lovely and much appreciated. As to the specific questions...

1 and 2) Not bad and the veggie garden would soften that wall. Think beans or tomatoes grown up on wires and you'll hide a lot of it...

3) Yes, something is missing; time. Let it develop and then let's see what you have...

4) While you have broken the chain in places there is still a good bit of the "necklace effect" in that ring of boulders. Try varying the sizes more aned leaving more of those gravelly areas. An old bit of carpet will allow something like Lysismachia to root right into it; extend some under the lawn (staking it) and then the rest right into the pond and plant the creeping charlie in holes (through the carpet) near the lawn side. The carpet wicks water (a little more evaporation), the Lysismachia grows towards the wet and doubles nicely as a water plant. The wet carpet holds your liner down, keeps the soil from ending in the water and doubles as a planting medium with no necklace around the pond...

5) Not sure here. Does a Japanese style really fit the front of your house? Maybe it's something entirely different (Is that a Fargesia on the left corner?)

6) Almost certainly too much sun...

Loved the azalea shots (and the magnolia, too). One of our native azaleas (R. vaseyii) just finished blooming (they smell great too). Our swamp azalea (R. viscosum) should be soon; that one smells great too...

Scott

[MrNorth]

Hi!!

Thanks for the answer! I realize you are quite busy and I appreciate insight and comments you might have, since this (+ the garden web forums) are the only source of information I have... no of my friends and none of the nurseries in my pronice know anythig about japanese gardening...


About your comments:

1) I will try to cnstruct a yotsume gaki style fence first to cover the wall and then I will perhaps plant some tomatoes or other veggies. I have never seen it in my jap garden books though lol!

3) Yeah the pieris and rhododendron are so small now... things will probably look better when they grow up. And I don't want to fill the space with smaller boulder or smaller plants since I think the view willl become rather cluttered and "upsetting"

4) More work here, thanks for the information. I will look into a plan on how to do it

5)Yeah thats afargaesia, its about 1 m in height right now. Perhaps I should just leave this area as it is.. or add some gravel to soften it up??

6) Darned... my poor holly fern. Its strange since these plants only get about 1 hour of afternoon sun each day. (its when the sun shines through my torii style gate.) Perhaps they will adapt...

I will post more pics when I made progress, hopefully within the coming weeks, I'm rather busy at work All I coould think about in the morning was to build a bamboo fence, nooooo thought about going to work... lol. Ans the weather is soo sunny and warm and here I'm stuck in a n office


matane
Henrik

[MrNorth]

Hi!!

Thanks for the answer! I realize you are quite busy and I appreciate insight and comments you might have, since this (+ the garden web forums) are the only source of information I have... no of my friends and none of the nurseries in my pronice know anythig about japanese gardening...


About your comments:

1) I will try to cnstruct a yotsume gaki style fence first to cover the wall and then I will perhaps plant some tomatoes or other veggies. I have never seen it in my jap garden books though lol!

3) Yeah the pieris and rhododendron are so small now... things will probably look better when they grow up. And I don't want to fill the space with smaller boulder or smaller plants since I think the view willl become rather cluttered and "upsetting"

4) More work here, thanks for the information. I will look into a plan on how to do it

5)Yeah thats afargaesia, its about 1 m in height right now. Perhaps I should just leave this area as it is.. or add some gravel to soften it up??

6) Darned... my poor holly fern. Its strange since these plants only get about 1 hour of afternoon sun each day. (its when the sun shines through my torii style gate.) Perhaps they will adapt...

I will post more pics when I made progress, hopefully within the coming weeks, I'm rather busy at work All I coould think about in the morning was to build a bamboo fence, nooooo thought about going to work... lol. Ans the weather is soo sunny and warm and here I'm stuck in a n office


matane
Henrik

[The Helpful Gardener]

I understand the weather thing; it's our seventh day in 90plus farenheit and doing ANYTHING seems opressive...

Scott

[Newt]

Hi Henrik,

What I know about Japanese gardens you could put in a thimble! But in looking at the picture of your pond I get the feeling that I am being propelled straight across it due to the dip on both sides. You mentioned that you don't have many books on Japanese gardens (at least I think that is what you said), and since I don't know much about them, I went to www.google.com and put in the search box:
Japanese garden + pond
Great pictures to look at. This one of spring time has lots of color, but it's consistant and repeated in a soothing manner. Maybe more of the same plants for you? Maybe enlarge the planting bed at the far end of the pond where it dips, plant a weeping maple with several of the same plants on either side?
https://www.oregonscenics.com/j-gdn-pond-n.jpg

I also noticed that in the background of your property at the tree line there doesn't seem to be a connection. The lawn stops and the trees begin. Maybe some shrubs there would make the pond feel more settled into the landscape from this view.

Maybe I'm just rambling. Hope this helped.
Newt

[The Helpful Gardener]

No Newt, that's not rambling at all. In fact that may well be Henriks problem solved. By connecting the pond to the back border it will add depth to the whole landscape and take that tipping effect out; help to alleviate the necklace thing a good deal as well. A lot of work, but...

Scott

[MrNorth]

Thanks for the insight...

My thoughts have been

* using a fence about 1.5 m high and try a shakkei approach

* adding some backdrop boulders and smaller landscape details (like a hill and a pine and a lantern)


Well... anything that will create a rear focalpoint! Because that is needed badly...

/Henrik

[The Helpful Gardener]

I think a hill would be a wonderful addition and set the theme (Hill and pond garden, neh?). Perhaps covered in groundcover bamboo with a few choice stones set in it...

[MrNorth]

Hiya!

If you haven't followed the discussion in the other forums, here is a picture of a corner I'm in the process of preparing;

[img]https://www.odla.nu/album/data/mrnorth/1431_p34523.jpg[/img]

The stones and the lantern +maple +junipers are pasted, everything else is real.

I already thought about removing the stones... but somehow I feel there is something missing that will turn this dull corner into an oasis with a japanese atmosphere. Perhaps I should get rid of teh trellis and make something in bamboo instead? Or add/get rid of something else??? I'm quite clueless actually. usually I have no problem designing nice corners... but here I'm stunned.

About the book u suggested, I'm having problems finding it... still searching.

Kind regards
Henrik

[The Helpful Gardener]

Hi Mr. N,

Let's look at the lines you are creating. Verticals add strength, and carry key portions of the garden. Horizontals are peaceful, and carry the eye gently from place to place. Diagonals are high energy and tend to create pointy angles; what the Chinese call "cutting chi". Now look at your picture.

I see strong verticals in the bamboo, maple, lantern, ppine and main stone. I see a few horizontals in the small stone, grasses, and left hand shrub...

But the diagonals...they are the dominant energy here. Look through Japanese garden photos and you will see few diagonals. The J-garden is about peace and repose; a few verticals and a lot of horizontals. Hold the diagonals. I can think of one particular garden where the main stone is at a serious tilt and virtually every other stone balances back against it. You have a mix of diagonals that creates a chaos for the eye; where to go? the eye wonders...Lots of cues, no focus...

I know you have already put that part up, but to my eye, it is distracting from what you are trying to accomplish. Best to lose it... Pare down the verticals to the few you absolutely need to convey your thought. Start adding horizontal elements (I suggest stone as two of that size in this space feels light, and think more horizontal stones rather than standing stone. Larger stone would make a BIG difference, no pun intended...)

Try one of the links from our site to the online book dealers; I have had great luck finding even out of prints there, and there are usually used copies at a fraction of the cost...

Scott

[webmaster]

Just a note to let Henrik know that I tried clicking on the photos linked from the first post of this thread, but I received error messages that they were no longer available. So rather than having links to non-existent pics, I edited them out.

If you want to put them back up, just PM me with the live links and I'll be happy to edit your post and put them up so people can see.

Thanks.

[MrNorth]

Thank you for the very helpful post!!! I had to read it a few times to grasp the concept (and I have read two books on feng shui, lol)


So, what you are saying is that I have too many horizontal elements? Like the trellis, bamboo, maple, lantern... I agree.

I'm not sure however what you mean by the diagonals? I know they are the cause of my many problems with the scene, since the scene DOES feel distracting to look at.. which you really captures with this statement

You have a mix of diagonals that creates a chaos for the eye; where to go? the eye wonders...Lots of cues, no focus...

Since I don't really understand the concept of the diagonals (and which they are in my scene), perhaps you could explain it some more?

Stones are very hard to come by and cost a fortune, granite lanterns are cheaper in this city than a simple 2 ton stone.

Do you think it is possible to create a pleasing scene even without the stones you suggest?


I will try and order the book, thanks for the suggestions!


And webmaster, I'm terribly sorry for the broken links I ran out of space on the server so I deleted the oldest files. Sorry for any trouble I might have caused.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Gomen nisei Henrik-san! I sometimes forget what is evident to me is not evident to all...

The diagonals are the cross pieces in the trellis; these are very distracting to the eye and challenge as the focal point...

And while you have the idea (and the list of items) correct, all these are vertical elements, and I think you do need to do some selecting there to pick a central focal point (Can mesh two elements like the bamboo and the lantern). Maybe one other vertical element, but it needs to be subservient to the primary (much discussion in J-gardening texts about stone groupings having master and servant relations).

AND to keep it restful, more horizontal elements (think how restful a horizon line is to the eye). The other thing to think about is negative space; to my mind it is a defining feature of Japanese gardens, and we in the West have a hard time not cluttering with too much. Ponds, raked gravel, monocultural groundcovers even; all these can act as negative space.

Remember, less is more...

Scott