When I lived in Beijing one of my favorite places to visit was the Tanzhe Temple in the mountains to the West of the city.  The air was cleaner there, and the temple was beautiful, as were it’s natural surroundings.  It was definitely a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the big city. The long stone path leading up to the temple was worn down through centuries of use.  It was constructed of large pieces of stone, some of which were clearly architectural.

Rather than throw away cut stone salvaged from abandoned buildings or construction debris it appears to have been incorporated into the construction of the path.  This included pieces of white marble with delicate carvings.  The overall effect was to make the path a beautiful mosaic of natural and sculpted stone.  I have also seen examples of this type of reuse in and around ancient places in Korea and Japan.

Reuse in the Japanese Garden

There is a long tradition of using man-made building materials in Japanese garden design, especially quarried and finished stone. Cut granite slabs are often used for bridges and paving stones. Aside from being useful, man-made materials add visual interest by contrasting in form and texture with natural elements.

  by  miheco 

Not all of the man-made materials found in Japanese gardens are purpose made to be there, or at least not originally.  This is especially true in gardens build before the industrialization of Japan. Pieces of stone salvaged from abandoned structures is often incorporated into the construction of pathways and stairs.  Round millstones, once used to make flour from grain, have also found new life in many Japanese gardens as stepping stones. Clay roof tiles, the same ones found on the roofs of temples and traditional Japanese homes, are used for edging along paths and to keep the gravel in dry garden beds. Even decorative elements like lanterns and water basins started out with roles outside of the Japanese garden.

There was a time when getting a mill stone meant a short trip to the local grist mill. Today, many of these once “found” materials are now being manufactured specifically for use in garden design. This includes mill stones, stone lanterns and water basins. Cheap concrete and plastic replicas are also readily available.

Buildings today are made of engineered materials like oriented strand board, asphalt shingles, reinforced concrete, drywall and vinyl siding. Very few of the materials are well suited for reuse in a Japanese garden. Some things that might work with a little creativity would be stone window sills, granite counter tops, and driveway paving stones.

The Japanese Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verticillata) is one of those trees that draws you in, and holds your attention.  At first glance is looks very similar to every other pine – upright, vigorous, and green, but there is something peculiar about the look of the tree that makes the eye linger.

The Umbrella Pine’s most unique characteristic is its needles.  Instead of the clusters of 3 or 5 needles found on species of pine, the long needles on the Umbrella Pine are arranged like the spokes in a wheel, or as the name indicates, a traditional Japanese umbrella.  These “whorls” as they are called are a very ancient form of leaf structure, that dates back in the fossil record some 230 million years.  The Japanese Umbrella Pine is a living fossil, the last living member of the family Sciadopityaceae and genus Sciadopitys.

Native to the cool, rain soaked mountains of Japan, the Umbrella Pine has been grown outside of Japan since the 1800′s. It is a slow-growing conifer that maintains a pyramidal shape as it grows. Umbrella pines are hardy to Zone 5. They require full sun and protection from the wind, especially during the winter.

Because they are slow growing, and somewhat exotic, expect to pay a premium for a good sized specimen. I saw a several Japanese Umbrella Pine’s during a recent visit to Grand Valley Garden Village in Kitchener, Ontario.

End Notes

The Japanese Umbrella Pine is one of the Kiso go-boku or “Five Sacred Trees of Kiso”.  The others include Japanese arborvitae, Hinoki cypress, Sawara false-cypress, and Thujopsis dolabrata.

Soaking tubs are among the many products still being made of wood grown in Japan.

I decided to include a traditional Japanese water basin or Tsukubai in the design of my Japanese garden.  To be fair Tsukubai is much more than just a pot that holds water, there are many elements to the design, including strong connections to the Japanese tea ceremony. In Japan, Tsukubai are found at the entrances to shrines and temples, or near a teahouse or gate for the purpose of refreshing visitors to a garden.

Originally, Tsukubai were created from naturally hollowed rocks, but because such rocks were hard to find, people began to carve there own. The water collected within the basin is either rainwater or water piped from a nearby spring or stream, that constantly trickles from a bamboo pipe called a “kakehi”. Tsukubai that use flowing water also have a drainage system.

The Tsukubai used in Japanese gardens have several component parts, or supporting stones that surround the basin or Chozubachi as it is called in Japanese.  Each of these supporting stones has a specific purpose, such as a holding a ladle, or offering a place to kneel. The basin, or Chozubachi, is placed either in the centre (nakabachi-tsukubai) or back (mukaibachi-tsukubai) of the arrangement. The Tsukubai I built follows the mukaibachi-tsukubai style.

The cost of building a Tsukubai depends largely on the Chozubachi you select.  Quality, hand crafted Chozubachi can cost several hundred dollars.  They come in a variety of different forms, including coins, barrels, bowls and even recycled architectural elements like foundation stones.

Alternatively, you can make your own Chozubachi out of a granite boulder, and save some money. In my opinion, Chozubachi made out of naturally weathered stone look great.

Below are pictures of the Tsukubai in my garden, complete with Chozubachi made out out a granite boulder found nearby.

How to make a Chozubachi – Japanese Water Basin

Tools Required – Rock Chisel, Hammer, Gloves, Safety Glasses, Mask, Angle Grinder, Diamond Blade

Warning – Granite is extremely heavy, and the pieces are sharp. Wear protection like safety glasses, gloves, dust mask and steel toed boots when working with granite.

1. Find a nice looking granite boulder for the basin.  Look for a boulder about the size of a beach ball with a consistent, dark color and no cracks or flaws.  You might be able to find a suitable specimen at your local garden center or rock yard.  I prefer the look of boulders that have been exposed to the elements, and weathered naturally, but quarried stone will also work.
2. Collect all of the other supporting stones, and layout the Tsukubai as it would be positioned in the garden.  Moving stones around is hard work, but well worth the effort. Pay particular attention to the orientation of the basin stone, and the surface you want to use for the top of the basin.
3. Draw the outline of the hole you want to carve in the basin stone. I used a piece of chalk and traced the bottom of a tin can.  The opening does not need to be round, and the diameter of the hole can vary.  Something to keep in mind is the exposure of the Tsukbai to the elements.  The more exposed the location, the faster the water will evaporate.
4. Score the outside of the hole with a rock chisel and hammer.  This will ensure that you have a nice clean edge around the circumference of the basin hole.
5. Use an angle grinder with a diamond blade to make small cuts in the rock.
6. Chip out the material between cuts using the chisel and hammer.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until the hole has been excavated.
8. Place the finished Chozubachi and supporting stones in your garden, and fill the space between them with gravel. I used coal that my Grandfather had collected on the beaches of Lake Erie, most likely sweep off of passing lake freighters.

The picture below shows the tools I used to carve my Chozubachi (water basin) out of a granite boulder.

Further reading about Tsukubai and Chozubachi

While researching this article I found several great sources of information on the Internet and in my own library.  I recommend you refer to these sources for further reading on the subject of Tsukubai and Chozubachi.

Zen-garden.org | Tsukubai and Chozubachi

Sukyia Living | Water Basin

I love the look of Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum), especially green varieties like Sangu Kaku and Ahirasawanum, but I have had trouble getting them to grow in my backyard. The backyard’s southern exposure, and lack of shade from the hot afternoon sun are too much for the delicate leaves of all but the most hardy varieties of Japanese Maples.  This makes sense given that in the wild Japanese maples are understory trees, sheltered from the elements by the large trees that form the forest canopy above.

Rather than fight the will of mother nature, a battle I have rarely won,  I have instead chosen to plant hardy, sun loving trees that share some of the same characteristics I love about Japanese Maples.  Those characteristics are small size, open branch structure and green leaf colour.  One of my favorite finds is the Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum).

The Paperbark Maple is a small deciduous tree reaching 6-9 m (20-30 ft) tall, and 5-6 m (15-25 ft) wide. As it’s name would suggest, the most striking feature of a Paperbark Maple is it’s smooth, paper-thin peeling bark. The bark adds year round interest, eve during the winter months.  For this reason I have placed my Japanese Maple close to the front of my garden.

The Paperbark Maple is hardy, and can tolerate a variety of soil and light conditions, including full sun, but it is slow growing, so purchase the largest one you can find.  Paperbark Maples are increasingly popular so you shouldn’t have much difficulty tracking one down at a local nursery or garden store.

I was lucky enough to find my Paperbark Maple at The Annual Guelph Arboretum Plant Sale run by the Arboretum’s Volunteer Auxiliary.  This event takes place every September and is well worth a visit.  Prices are VERY reasonable, and the selection includes a wide variety native species and hard to find specimen plants.  Arrive early for the best selection, and be prepared to run.  People start lining up 2 or 3 hours before the doors open.

The general rule of thumb when building a Japanese garden is to plant at least 2 evergreens for every deciduous planting, with a particular emphasis on woody plants like shrubs and trees.  This formula will ensure there is a lot of structure to your garden, and year round visual interest, especially in northern climates.

Coniferous shrubs are an excellent choice.  They are hardy, low maintenance plants that can be grown in virtually any soil or light condition  They can be used in mass plantings, but I prefer them as specimen plants.  Coniferous shrubs, and coniferous trees for that matter, cannot  sheared.  There size can be controlled by selectively removing new growth each spring, a process commonly referred to as “bud pinching” or “candling”.

Several coniferous shrubs have found a place in my Japanese garden.  They are young plants, but despite there relatively small size, they already add strength and texture to the overall composition.  I think they look particularly good when positioned close to rocks.

These are the 4 coniferous shrubs I have planted in my garden – pictures below.  Hover over the picture for the name of each shrub.

• Next Spruce (Picea abies ‘Nidiformis’)
• Dwarf Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)
• Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo
• Gold Thread False Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera ‘Sungold’)

There are dozens of species of coniferous shrubs, and literally hundreds of varieties.  Which ones have you chosen for your Japanese garden?

For those of you interested in learning more about “bud pinching” or “candling” as a means of maintaining your coniferous shrubs, check out “Niwaki – Pruning, Training and Shaping Trees the Japanese Way” by Jake Hobson, published by Timber Press.

You don’t need to travel to Japan to visit a high quality Japanese garden. Japanese gardens have been built outside of Japan for over 100 years, and many are open to the public. The David G. Porter Memorial Japanese Garden at the University of Guelph is a beautiful example, and lucky for me it is just down the street from my house.

Aside from it’s close proximity, what I like most about this garden is the sense of enclosure. The square garden is surrounded by a bamboo fence on it’s western side, and a thick hedge comprised of pyramid cedars and yews. This natural barrier separates the garden from the expansive park in which it is located, creating a space filled with calm and serenity.

The David G. Porter Memorial Japanese Garden was dedicated in June 1995 to the memory of Dr. David G. Porter by his wife, Mrs. Bobbi Porter. Dr. Porter was a professor at the Ontario Veterinary College, which is part of the University of Guelph. Apparently, the Porter’s traveled to Japan and fell in love with the gardens they visited during their trip. This is also how I became interested in Japanese garden design.

Highlights

• Natural enclosure made of bamboo fence and shrubs
• Tea house
• Stone slab bridge over a small pond
• Gravel dry garden
• Specimen trees like a Merrill Star Magnolia (Magnolia loebneri) and Katsura Tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)

Issues

• Maintenance is sometimes lacking, especially with respect to timely pruning and weeding
• The pond is often full of algae and debris

More information about the David G. Porter Memorial Japanese Garden can be found here.

The Hori Hori or Japanese Garden Knife is a great tool to have when working in your Japanese garden.  The thin, steel blade is perfect for digging holes in tight places, and the serrated edge is sharp enough to cut through small roots, and trim sod.

I found the Hori Hori especially useful for mass plantings of small, ground cover plants like Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra terminalis).  The Hori Hori works best in loose soil, put is strong enough to work hard clay, which is good because that is what I have in my garden.  There are a variety of different models on the market.  I went with the traditional, hardened steel version complete with leather scabbard. I have also seen them made of stainless steel. The Hori Hori costs between $20 and $30 and is available from a variety of different online retailers.

P.S.

I have heard that the design of many Japanese martial arts weapons are based on Japanese garden tools like the hoe, sickle, machete and scythe.  The Hori Hori is probably a poor example of this relationship, but I would certainly like to know more about this fascinating aspect of Japanese history.

Rocks are an integral part of Japanese garden design.  They add strength and structure to a garden, and anchor connective elements like bridges, streams and pathways.  Regardless of how they are used, one thing remains constant – rocks are heavy.  In the process of building my Japanese garden I have moved several tons of rock, several times.

Setting rocks, especially large ones takes a lot of time and effort.  In my experience there is a lot of trial and error when setting rocks.  They need to be sorted, grouped, placed and adjusted.  More times than I care to remember, the rocks I selected for particular locations failed to live up to expectations upon being moved into position.

Building a model

There is a small neglected corner in my backyard between the fence and the back wall of the house.  I plan on dressing up this corner with some flowering shrubs (probably rhododendrons), and some granite rocks.  Instead of simply moving rocks around until something clicked, this time I tried building a model.

I started with a 3″ x 6″ piece of paper to represent the 3′ x 6′ space I had to work with. Next, I took a look at the rocks I had in my possession and made some rough measurements.  Once I new what materials I had to work with I peeled and cut some potatoes to represent the rocks, trying to keep the same 1″ to 1′ scale. I used the scale model to experiment with setting rocks in different positions.  Thankfully, moving potatoes is a lot easier that moving rocks

Here are some pictures of the potato model I built, and some of the more interesting patterns I was able to create.

Part and parcel of building a Japanese garden, or any garden or landscaping project for that matter is moving materials.  Long before the first Japanese maple is ever planted the sod needs to be removed, earth berms built, stones placed, paths built, and holes dug.  While building my garden I spent countless hours moving dirt from one place to another, and transporting rocks, gravel, plants and other materials.

This is back breaking work to say the least.  Normally a wheelbarrow would be the tool of choice for transporting landscaping materials, but I have a small yard, and there is a 1 story drop in elevation between the front of my house and the backyard where I am building my Japanese garden.  Maneuvering a fully loaded wheelbarrow in a constricted area or up and down hills is far from easy and potentially dangerous.

For a while I made due with a garbage can, plastic buckets and even cardboard boxes.  That was until I purchased a Mark’s Choice Flexible Garden Basket (Trug) at my local Home Hardware store.  This lightweight plastic basket is easy to carry, even full to the brim.  The flexible plastic construction allows you to carry uneven materials like sticks and rocks.  Best of all Mark’s Choice Flexible Garden Basket is waterproof, which means you can use it to carry water, just like a bucket.

I have used my Mark’s Choice Flexible Basket to transport all kinds of materials while building my Japanese garden including granite rocks, gravel, plants, mulch, sod and several tons of dirt.  It is truly one tough tool, and I would recommend it to anyone.

The Mark’s Choice Flexible Garden Basket is sold exclusively through Home Hardware. It is available in 22L and 35.5L sizes.  They retail for between 10$ and $15 dollars. This is one of the most valuable garden tools I own and it is probably one of the cheapest.

P.S.

The Mark behind “Mark’s Choice” is none other than Canada’s own Mark Cullen, gardener extraordinaire, entrepreneur, author and media personality.

I have to admit, Hart’s Tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) is a pretty sexy plant.   It’s long glossy fronds give this fern an exotic, tropical appearance. It looks quite different than Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) and other species of ferns native to Southern, Ontario.

Hart’s Tongue fern is also a native plant, but it is relatively rare.  When sourcing plants for your garden, purchase Hart’s Tongue fern from your local nursery or garden center, and leave the wild plants where you find them.

Like most ferns, Hart’s Tongue fern prefers the shade.  It also grows best is lime and humus rich soil.   I have a Hart’s Tongue fern growing in my garden and I plan on adding more. After a few years, the trees and scrubs I have planted should expand the shaded areas of my garden, and provide more places to plant shade loving plants like ferns.

I came across Hart’s Tongue fern while looking for a substitute for Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior), another shade loving plant used in Japanese gardens, with long, strap-like leaves.  Unfortunately, Cast Iron Plant is only hardy to zone 7.  As I discovered quite quickly, plant substitution is a necessary part of building a Japanese garden in a northern climate.

Interesting Facts *

• There are 700 Asplenium species in the world, of which 23 are native to Japan
• Asplenium antiquum, native to the warm-temparate parts of Japan, has fronds up to 1 meter in length and 10 cm in width.

* Source – “Garden Plants of Japan“, published by Timber Press