Yukimi-gata problem... sorta..

[MrNorth]

Well, you know a little about what my back yeard looks like... the pond and surrounding vegetation... now I am in need of some guidance when it comes to the placement of lanterns.

At my local store I found THIS::

[img]https://www.geocities.com/roman.jost/Steinlaterne/Bilder-Xh/xhl-3.jpg[/img]

It is really cheap, only 80 USD!!! it is quite big, made out of granite and the details are very good! I want to buy it right away, but then I fear I have no knowledge of where to place it.
I have no islands in my pond, and adding yet another focal point to the pond will make it look like an amusement park, with all different attractions!!! I need your humble advices on what to do? I also feel that the pond is perhaps too small for that lantern.

As I feel, I should create another scene behind the pond, between the pond and the wall (when I make it) There I could make a hill, plant some pines and other evergreens, and then at a good location, place this lantern. Possibly a kasuga would be more appropriate in this location?

I feel like I don't have enough vegetation in my garden to create a pleasing scene with this lantern.... but yet, I cant resist that price!!! As I feel I have 2 choices

1) Redesign the pond so that it can have a yukimi-gata close to it

2)Add additional "hills" with vegetation in my garden and find a good position for it somewhere. I have no paths in my garden... as of now

/Henrik

[The Helpful Gardener]

That is not even a wholesale price, it is theft! Congrats; you are correct you have to buy it...

Snow viewing lanterns ALWAYS go near water; so we know where it has to go...

Adding some berms around the pond would change the perspective and allow for a larger lantern, perhaps a larger tree that would change the scope? Or a combination thereof? I think Option #1 is the best way to go...

[MrNorth]

I know, the price is really cheap... although this is a replica from china, and they used powertools to make it (drillmarks on the inside). But it is really nice! It cost about 1100 SEK (swedish crownes) and from the outside it looks identical to the one in the pic.

and thats about 70-80 USD depending on currency rates. They have a very nice misaki-gata for only 800 SEK. But I'm not sure I want it. Perhaps to replace the crappy plastic lantern I have next to the driveway.

At my pond I have the japanese willow... it is a nice tree, but not nearly as much character as a trained pine. Lol my pond is a constant bugger to me. Thats why I am "afraid" of buying the lantern... because I'm not satisfied with the pond itself.

I have thought about doing the following, bare with me:

Push all stones surrounding the pond down into the ground so they are only 1 cm above the lawn. Then pull the lawn towards the pond almost all the way to the water. And then have only a few stones clearly visible. There is a VERY nice pic in philip caves book, I will get back on the page nr. This will create a more uniform look around the pond, more grass, less stones. And its easier to sit by the pond, because the stones hurt!

I have tried to ask myself why I aint happy with the pond.... and the answer is "there is too much stuff". When looking at a pond in japanese garden the edges are very uniform, with an occational rock here and there... When looking at mine, there is hundreds of rocks in different sizes... plus the plants. Feels unsettling somehow.... wish I could start over from scrath

How much do you want in cash for designing a pond for me, and connect it in a natural way to the rest of the "garden" lol

/Henrik - trying to design

[MrNorth]

the pic is on page 82-83 in the book creating japanese gardens by philip cave. that pond edging is gorgeous!!


/henrik

[The Helpful Gardener]

Try carpeting (yes old carpet in earth tones works best)and bringing that over the lip into the pond then laying turf right up to the edge. A cement coping slanting back towards the lawn can help too. Lots of ways to get the lawn to the edge; harder with a liner type, but the carpet thing works ok (done it...)

[MrNorth]

Based on your suggestions I burrowed the front rocks one dm further into the ground, and added carpet above and then the soil. The result is what you see below. I did some magic with the grass, since I will seed tomorrow On the pic its fully grown!

[img]https://www.odla.nu/album/data/mrnorth/full_1431_p31315.jpg[/img]

Anyway, I have also added a path it will come from the gate on the left, then divide to the pond and proceed to the right towards the wood deck. I have no clue when I will make this, because path stones are hard to find.

And I added two (there might be more) possible ways of placing the lantern.

1) Is a position near both the pond and the path.

2) A position "inside" the pond scene a few dm out into the water on some rocks.

Making a pond must be one of the most difficult things you can do in a japanese garden... Some days I feel like renting a machine and just push it all into the pond and make it a lawn

Lol, but I have some spare time on my hands now during the vacation, and I will try to make it look better.

/Henrik

[The Helpful Gardener]

Position 1 seems more in keeping with the traditional use of the lantern, but I like both places...

[MrNorth]

this question might be close to the "outer limits" of your generosity of free service... but I have also been thinking... is this pond really suited for a yukimi? If this was *your* site... would you add a lantern... if the customer didnt insist of having one?

I think I have been perhaps too focused on buying the darned thing and put it somewhere in the garden... but I forgot to "ask" the garden...


Henrik - having second thougts...

[The Helpful Gardener]

It is certainly not out of place and I do like it in both positions...Actually it would be placed on a stone quite near or jutting into the water, so I'm changing my postion and leaning towards the second spot...

[MrNorth]

Thank you for the insight!

I'm curious... since you are a professional landscaper, where have you learned about the placement of ponds? In all japanese garden books I read they talk primarily about stones and views and planes... but when it comes to the placement of ponds there are no direct answers... I guess it all fall into place. Obviously it should be the lowest point of your site.. but when landscaping a site like mine which is 100 % flat... then that is out of the question.

If I had the chance to redesign my pond, I would probably place it in the left corner of the garden, please observe the crude design sketch below

[img]https://www.odla.nu/album/data/mrnorth/1431_p31653.jpg[/img]


Placement of lantern and shrubs can be discussed, but this is definetly the way I would do it!! And this is the left corner of the garden. And of course the scene should be filled with a few trained pines, bamboo as background and some pines and a big willow close to the pond.

Feels natural...

I wish I could hit "pause", then "rewind" and then "play" again...

But if I didnt make teh pond teh way it is now... then I probably woundlt have had the insight and experience I have now when I designed the second one

Life's a bi*ch

/Henrik

[The Helpful Gardener]

I defer to the Sakuteiki for placement of any major feature in the garden; "Follow thew request of the site" (I'm paraphrasing). Any thing you place in the garden should have natural reasons to be there; ponds near or in natural depressions, large stones at bends in streams, etc. If you don't feel the current spot fits, perhaps there are ways to make it appear it does (berms, copses, etc) but evealuating the site and working with it instead of overriding it is always the easiest way to go ...