Friday, July 29, 2011

Japanese Stone Structure

Until now I have never been asked to specifically design a Japanese garden. After a discussion in which I made clear flowers were not really involved and the response was I don't want no stinkin' flowers that need deadheading, I thought well I can do this. It will be a new challenge for me. It may not be an authentic Japanese garden according to code, but I can get you there.



I should have taken a before picture of course. So imagine if you will the stone edging on both sides of the gravel/flagstone path being rigid straight lines. Imagine the flagstone being a solid flooring with much less gravel in between the stones.

Now imagine me fetching and moving rocks, flagstone and 53 bags of gravel over a four day period during the hottest and most humid spell of the summer.



The Japanese garden is now ready to plant. It needs one hose pot to join the other large pot that was requested it be incorporated into the garden. The big pot will need to be replanted with something other than annuals.



Until now I have also never been asked to build a fountain. The client sent me a link to step by step instructions for building a pondless fountain. I just built my own house and had never done that before. I can surely follow the directions and build a little fountain. So I dug a deep hole and made a pondless fountain.

My first thought for a Japanese fountain was a nice stone with a hole drilled through it and the water bubbling up through the stone. There was online looking and much discussion about the fountain. Around the corner other construction was in progress and the flagstone path that leads to the back had been pulled up and stacked randomly in a pile. The client saw that and said make me a fountain like this pile of flagstones. I think I like the look of that. Alrighty then. I can do that.



The top piece of flagstone and the smoother rounded stone on top need to have holes drilled through them. If you look back at the first picture you can see the pump hose on the back side of the fountain. The pump hose is being held temporarily in place on top with the much smaller cap stone. I also want to get the next size larger pump to crank up the water flow a bit more.

Building this fountain was pretty dern easy. Digging the hole was the hardest part. I may need one of these for the garden to be.



Now imagine some Japanese type shrubberies to go with the Weeping Blue Atlas Ceder that started the whole thing. I moved that too from the dead center of a straight arrow, rigidly formed bed against the house to a new home in my first Japanese garden.



Now I just need one Japanee Inspectormans to see if my first Japanese garden passes code.

8 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Looks purtdy durn good to me. Love that fountain.

Fairegarden said...

Well done, my friend. Love the stone fountain. You know how big that weeping atlas cedar is going to get, right? Pruning involved, no doubt.
xo
Frances
ps, you can do anything you set your mind to do

Anonymous said...

All I can say is wow! You are a very talented man.
Sallysmom

Christopher C. NC said...

Thanks Lisa. I tried my best with what I had to work with. The ground of course slopes steeply down from the house and is a hillside of juniper right next to the path. It is a distinct rectangular shape overall. They were only willing to go so far.

Yes Frances I know those ceders can get big. Slowly at least and I have not been hired as the maintenance gardener yet. I should set my mind to a few other things.

Thanks Sallysmom. It helps I have been exposed to many real Japanese gardens over the years. I'm just imitating.

Lola said...

Wow, what a fantastic garden. You have done a wonderful job. I agree with Frances that you can do anything you put your mind to.
I really like that fountain. I've wanted one for a long time. Pond less of course.

Siria said...

Just beautiful!!! I love the fountain too.

Gardener in the Distance said...

Whether it's strictly Japanese or not, it's come together well, and its rustic nature suits the house. It's harder than it looks to get stones to sit right. Well done.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant! Can't wait to see what plants you select. Japan''esque' gardens are something I fool around with too. You gave me an idea with the fountain, thanks!

bev