EXPRESSING CREATIVITY: the Garden

[Kotei]

You're right Jundo, it's a real Japanese gardening ladder, imported from Japan. As are the 70 year old Japanese white pines (Hime Komatsu).
The only thing on the picture, that's not 100% real seems to be me ;-). (no need to repost the 'becoming Japanese' essay, I still remember, trying not to fall in that trap.)

Those ladders are really stable, while being very lightweight. I've tried others, including wooden, very heavy, three-legged ones that were in use in Germany 100+ years ago.
The right tool for the job seems to be very important. I am also using Japanese tools for shaping the azalea bushes. The angle of the grips is unique to them and the form is automatically right without thinking.
Once a year, I have tree-climbing gardeners here for the really large, local trees. They shoot a rope with a crossbow into the crowns and disappear there. I can't even watch them working ;-)

I'd love helping a bit in your garden, chatting with your gardener. I've seen your beautiful garden in a video with a walk around, you posted.
Hamburg has a very large Japanese community and while helping to build Japanese influenced gardens, I got to know gardeners, who were trained in Japan and had the chance working together with one for some weeks, too. I've had the chance watching Shiro Nakane, conducting his workers for a day :-).

Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Jinyo]

garden-1-TLl.jpg

Sorry this pic is so small - still struggling to upload images in correct size format. I will keep trying!
The gardens you have shared are all lovely - every one unique.

My garden is incredibly important for me - it has been a life saver in times of difficulty and the challenge of being confined due
to illness/physical disability. It features almost as a character in its own right in a book I wrote.

Thanks for sharing,

Jinyo

sat today

[Jinyo]

Can only get this one to upload - the garden has lots of small garden rooms - sitting areas - and summer houses/sheds - I like small enclosed
areas that have a different feel to them. There are some small wildlife ponds as love to watch frogs and newts.

[Meitou]

Jinyo your garden sounds so intriguing, I'd love to see more. Unfortunately that second attachment isn't working for me, I don't know if anyone else can see it? Doshin, I understand what you are saying here, but yes it's clear that the image has got cropped. Beautiful description makes up for that.

Regarding sizing images, I'm still clinging to good old Microsoft Paint, not the fancy pants 3D or anything else new, but proper old fashioned Paint. So simple to use for resizing, I use the pixel option and stick to the original ratio, usually setting 800 px as the greater dimension. Works a treat, but to be honest I don't know how available Paint still is. If anyone has any other suggestions please put them here. THere is quite a detailed thread in the tech forum on posting images. I've never managed to post a photo while using my android phone, I always use the PC, which is fine, I can see better what I'm doing. All of my pics are taken on the android and upload automatically to google photos.

After a bout of rainy days followed by sunshine, our vine is bursting with life. Its sudden and voracious growth takes me by surprise every year - it's as if it happens over night, and feels like it's possible to see the growth daily. I'm always taken with the development of the grapes themselves, the tiny embryonic bunches, the delicate but strong tendrils reaching out for support, it's something miraculous.

baby grapes 1.jpg

baby grapes 2.jpg

vine.jpg

Gassho
Meitou
sattoday

[Cooperix]

Jinyo, I cannot open the second image either. The one that opens promises a splendid garden view. Can you try again to post images? We'd love to see your garden.

Meitou, of course your images are wonderful. They make me want to curl up under the vine and be washed in that healing green light! Thanks for posting.
New Mexico has a similar climate to the Mediterranean, with two rainy seasons (if we are lucky) and therefore ideal for growing grapes. The Spanish arrived here in the 16th century and brought with them their grape root stock, and we have been growing grapes here ever since. Longer than any other state in the U.S. We have a healthy wine making industry.
When my husband and I moved onto this property 33 years ago we planted a grape vine along a front fence. Last week, for the first time I cut it back to reveal its architecture! The main vines are thick as an athlete's thigh. It provides us (and people passing by) with all the grapes we could ever want each fall. I will see if I can get an image and post later.

Please let us see your gardens. I know that there are wonderful ones out there.

Thank you Jundo for taking us into your garden!

Gassho
Anne

~lahst~

[Jinyo]

Hello there,
I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but have a problem getting images to open here. I size in Adobe but no matter how much I decrease the size
it always says the file is too large. I will try to get some tuition from my son !

Gassho,

Jinyo

[Jakuden]

We have a 15 acre patch of woods on which the previous owners planted many wonderful surprises in random places. We kind of let it roam and ramble for the most part, so it rarely looks manicured. But I know where I can find a patch of lily of the valley, a trillium, some wild herbs. I will post a few pics of what is coming up right now.



A patch of oregano



A grapevine budding near a flowering blueberry bush


Some asparagus finding its way through the grass

Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Jundo]

Thank you Jundo for taking us into your garden!

I want to say again that I cannot take much credit for the garden, although I do generally trim the bushes (such as the ones in this picture). I also tend the big rocks, like the one shown ... which is easy, as big rocks are SUPER low maintenance.

The actual credit goes to the Japanese gardeners who come a few days a year, and happened to be here today ... including this woman, Mrs. Ikeda (somewhere in the anti sun, virus and hornet clothes ... you know about our Japanese killer hornets!) who does all the fine pruning. She and her team should get the credit.


delt weed blade 1.jpg

What I do very well is swing this Japanese weed cutter (刈払機) in our back field, which is basically a naked saw blade on the end of a gas driven motor. It is kind of a weed slaughter, although I do bow and apologize to all the disturbed plants, worms and moles who might have been in the way. I can only imagine that the moles head deep underground at the loud sound the thing makes. Yes, perhaps it does not exhibit the delicacy of the work in the front garden, but it does take some artistry not to lose a foot.


delt weed blade 2.jpg

A Japanese "karibaraiki" in action!

https://youtu.be/Pn6ZpvcJgeg

Gassho, J

STlah

[Cooperix]

Jundo,
What a weapon! We have those harmless strings of monofillament line, not quite so dangerous. But less effective I suspect.
and, Jakuden,
Thanks for sharing your woodland gardens with us. I love the idea of hidden surprises. And 15 acres to wander in, lovely.


In today's NYTimes...
How to grow a garden anywhere...for those of you still wondering how to manage a garden.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/08/smarter-living/how-to-start-your-own-garden.html?algo=random&fellback=false&imp_id=774017847&action=click&module=Smarter%20Living&pgtype=Homepage

Bows
Anne

~lahst~

[Shoki]

Jundo,
That's a serious weapon of mass destruction. My favorite garden tool is the hori-hori also known as the Japanese farmer's weeder. It's just a simple steel blade and a wooden handle. But I find it the best for getting all kinds of stubborn weeds out.

Gassho
STlah
James

[Jinyo]

Wow - there's a lot of acres of garden/woodland between us. Land/gardens are at a premium in the UK so I consider myself very lucky to have
even 2/3rds of an acre. I'd love more space though - very freeing to have meadows/woodland and water. All needs caring for though so with these old bones
our smaller plot is quite enough to look after.



Jinyo

[Jinyo]

garden 4s.jpg

garden-tl2.jpg

arch2.jpg


still can't figure more than postage stamp size

Gassho

Jinyo

[Jundo]

still can't figure more than postage stamp size

They get big when you click on them.

Lovely views.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Doshin]

Jinyo and all others....what wonderful places you have created. The creatures thank you!

Doshin
st
Be Safe and Well

[krissydear]

These are all so lovely and refreshing to look at. Thank you! I guess I can share mine. I have a little room garden that sits on the window sill and, this past month, my brother set up an aquaponics herb garden in the back patio. It has been wonderful to just walk out and get fresh basil for a meal! I've found it really uplifting to care for these little plants.

room garden.jpg

aquaponicsgarden.jpg

sat, lah