Hello,
I am now adding some pictures of our house and garden to solicit ideas. My wife and I are interested in Japanese gardening ideas. As you can see from the pictures of the backyard, the area above the wall is a pretty much a blank slate. Right now it is pretty much covered with weeds and the ground is full of old stumps and dead roots and ivy and euonymous (will I need a tiller?).
The front yard is a bit of a hodgepodge right now, it needs something to unify it.
Please share your ideas.
Thanks,
Jim
[img]https://gallery.mac.com/spencejam1/100125/IMG_2607/web.jpg[/img]
[img]https://gallery.mac.com/spencejam1/100125/IMG_2611/web.jpg[/img]
[img]https://gallery.mac.com/spencejam1/100125/IMG_2612/web.jpg[/img]
[img]https://gallery.mac.com/spencejam1/100125/IMG_2613/web.jpg[/img]
[img]https://gallery.mac.com/spencejam1/100125/IMG_2614/web.jpg[/img]
[img]https://gallery.mac.com/spencejam1/100125/771103854405_0_ALB/web.jpg[/img]
-
MaineDesigner
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 439
- Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:17 am
- Location: Midcoast Maine, Zone 5b
At the risk of starting a contentious exchange my advice would be to hire a professional. Japanese garden design is a subtle art and it does not lend itself to a DIY project unless you have put in a considerable amount of prior study and even then... I'd be happy to send you a list of the people I consider really competent (there are a considerable number of hacks out there) although there are none that I'm aware of in Massachusetts. Patrick Chasse has an office in Boston and does some nice Asian influenced work but I would not consider him a Japanese garden designer per se.
Hi,
If you are a DIY person you will want to do it yourself and not employ a profesional I suppose it depends on which way you want to jump, I did my Japanese garden by myself okay it has took over thirty years but what an enjoyable journey it has been ,if you wish you can see my labour of love on my website at https://koi-z-are-us.20m.com
koiboy01.
If you are a DIY person you will want to do it yourself and not employ a profesional I suppose it depends on which way you want to jump, I did my Japanese garden by myself okay it has took over thirty years but what an enjoyable journey it has been ,if you wish you can see my labour of love on my website at https://koi-z-are-us.20m.com
koiboy01.
Thanks for your responses.
Mainedesigner: I think my Japanese ambitions are very modest right now. I'm not shooting for a full blown Japanese garden-but I'm interested in the ideas that the webmaster wrote about, and there's an elegance and simplicity to Japanese gardens that really appeals to me and my wife, and I think could complement our house. At the same time, I really enjoyed the lush, dense look of that one designer you suggested, Oudolf. Hence, the casting around for ideas....To be realistic, I think our budget will dictate that the garden be a DIY thing, since there are also some things that we want to do to our house...
Koiboy- thanks for the link, I will definitely spend some time checking out your garden, and asking you for ideas.
Mainedesigner: I think my Japanese ambitions are very modest right now. I'm not shooting for a full blown Japanese garden-but I'm interested in the ideas that the webmaster wrote about, and there's an elegance and simplicity to Japanese gardens that really appeals to me and my wife, and I think could complement our house. At the same time, I really enjoyed the lush, dense look of that one designer you suggested, Oudolf. Hence, the casting around for ideas....To be realistic, I think our budget will dictate that the garden be a DIY thing, since there are also some things that we want to do to our house...
Koiboy- thanks for the link, I will definitely spend some time checking out your garden, and asking you for ideas.
Spencejam,
We recently went to a lovely Japanese garden in Portland, Connecticut.
You may be interested in a day trip to check it out for ideas. It is located at Wheeler Farm Gardens, a nursery in Portland.
[url]https://www.wheelerfarmgardens.com/japanese-garden.php[/url]
I do not have immediate plans to pursue a Japanese garden; however I found this one quite peaceful. Good luck with yours! Have you started it yet?
We recently went to a lovely Japanese garden in Portland, Connecticut.
You may be interested in a day trip to check it out for ideas. It is located at Wheeler Farm Gardens, a nursery in Portland.
[url]https://www.wheelerfarmgardens.com/japanese-garden.php[/url]
I do not have immediate plans to pursue a Japanese garden; however I found this one quite peaceful. Good luck with yours! Have you started it yet?
-
webmaster
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9478
- Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2004 12:59 pm
- Location: Amherst, MA USDA Zone 5a
Hi spencejam,
I edited your post so that the pics show up in the post, for convenience. Hope you don't mind.
Just wanted to plug the excellent [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/japanese/]Japanese Garden design articles[/url] written by our own Scott Reil, who used to teach an advanced master gardener course in Connecticut on that subject.
The [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/japanese/2003/design.html]Japanese Garden Design Principles[/url] article should be helpful, and there are many other articles that discuss the role of stone in the garden, the role that native species may play, and more. Even if you don't plan on creating a strictly traditional J garden, the underlying principles of a Japanese garden are inspirational and a foundation for designing a garden space with a sense of harmony.
Good luck and be sure to keep us updated on the yard.
I edited your post so that the pics show up in the post, for convenience. Hope you don't mind.
Just wanted to plug the excellent [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/japanese/]Japanese Garden design articles[/url] written by our own Scott Reil, who used to teach an advanced master gardener course in Connecticut on that subject.
The [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/japanese/2003/design.html]Japanese Garden Design Principles[/url] article should be helpful, and there are many other articles that discuss the role of stone in the garden, the role that native species may play, and more. Even if you don't plan on creating a strictly traditional J garden, the underlying principles of a Japanese garden are inspirational and a foundation for designing a garden space with a sense of harmony.
Good luck and be sure to keep us updated on the yard.
-
Piet Patings
- Cool Member
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:00 am
Hi Jim, viewing the photos of your current garden ... a Japanese Tea garden comes to mind.... But then it is very much about what you like.
Fancy a pond or not, do it yourself, the whole or parts etc.
You may be interested in the Realization chapter of the Tsubo-en website (my DIY garden). Although the garden is all karesansui (dry landscape), you may still find hints and tips.
For sure there is a lot of background information, including a book reference and links. See: [url]https://www.karesansui.nl/[/url].
If you have any specific questions, please ask.
Enjoy, Piet,
Fancy a pond or not, do it yourself, the whole or parts etc.
You may be interested in the Realization chapter of the Tsubo-en website (my DIY garden). Although the garden is all karesansui (dry landscape), you may still find hints and tips.
For sure there is a lot of background information, including a book reference and links. See: [url]https://www.karesansui.nl/[/url].
If you have any specific questions, please ask.
Enjoy, Piet,