EXPRESSING CREATIVITY: the Garden

[Meitou]

I love that these two gardens are showcased together in this thread - each in its own way stunningly beautiful.
Kotei's homage to Japanese gardens, beautifully arranged and curated, and Doshin's wonderfully organic and vibrant desert garden, an untamed wildness which shows how it is possible for us to live as one with nature. Both are a testament to the people who love and care for them and I thank you both for sharing the beauty.

Gassho
Meitou
sattodaylah

[Doshin]

Doshin,

Stunning sky, land, landscaping and photos! Looks like you back up to BLM or National forest land. Not sure where you are, close to Silver City? or Deming?
Thanks for sharing. A testament of how beautiful the desert is in its arid and vast landscapes, open clear sky and gnarly population of amazing creatures.

Also such a fine sharp contrast to Kotei's scrumptiously lush, sheltered and wet gardens. The full spectrum of possibilities on this amazing planet.

Gassho
Anne

~lahst~

Hi Anne,

I live on a ranch east of Silver City. Deming is an hour south from and where we go for shopping.

The land you see in the photos is primarily private. However Public Lands (Bureau of Land Managemnt and State) are all over and comprise the majority of land near me. Forest Service lands start about 3 miles west. The abundance of Public Lands is why I chose this place to live and of course the unique diversity of wildlife.

If I lived in a land of more rain I would probably have landscaped like Kotei. Especially after watching his video.

I hope others will add their part of the world

Doshin
St

[Cooperix]

When I finished my last project, which involved clay and box making I needed a break from the mess that both those mediums make. I started drawing again. I have some pale greenkitikatta Japanese paper so I started drawing sticks. This fits in the 'garden' theme. Now dead parts of past gardens...I am working on a series I call Book of Sticks. Right now the plan is to put several drawings together in pine boxes. But for now it's nice just to be drawing, clean and very quiet. Like being in the garden.


I tried to post an image but it is the wrong image!! My new computer and not having photoshop any longer has me flummoxed. I will get one up as soon as I figure out how to resize in GIMP!!

Can't seem to delete the image from my previous project. Just ignore. Looks like both images are here. Past and Current projects


Gassho
Anne

~st~

[Shinshi]

When I finished my last project, which involved clay and box making I needed a break from the mess that both those mediums make. I started drawing again. I have some pale greenkitikatta Japanese paper so I started drawing sticks. This fits in the 'garden' theme. Now dead parts of past gardens...I am working on a series I call Book of Sticks. Right now the plan is to put several drawings together in pine boxes. But for now it's nice just to be drawing, clean and very quiet. Like being in the garden.


I tried to post an image but it is the wrong image!! My new computer and not having photoshop any longer has me flummoxed. I will get one up as soon as I figure out how to resize in GIMP!!

Can't seem to delete the image from my previous project. Just ignore. Looks like both images are here. Past and Current projects


Gassho
Anne

~st~

Thank you for this thread Anne, and thanks to everyone for the great posts and pictures.

As an aside, if you are using windows there is a free program called paint.net that was developed by the original developers of Microsoft's Paint. It does a lot more. It is very easy to use and is great for simple touch up to photos. It has resizing, color correction, layers. All kind of things. Not quite as powerful as photoshop or gimp but really easy to use. I have all three and use paint.net most of the time.

https://www.getpaint.net/

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Cooperix]

Thank you Shinshi,
I just downloaded that program! I do a lot of work with images so I have been completely hamstrung since I changed computers.
This will help

bows
Anne

~st~

[Meitou]

When I finished my last project, which involved clay and box making I needed a break from the mess that both those mediums make. I started drawing again. I have some pale greenkitikatta Japanese paper so I started drawing sticks. This fits in the 'garden' theme. Now dead parts of past gardens...I am working on a series I call Book of Sticks. Right now the plan is to put several drawings together in pine boxes. But for now it's nice just to be drawing, clean and very quiet. Like being in the garden.


I tried to post an image but it is the wrong image!! My new computer and not having photoshop any longer has me flummoxed. I will get one up as soon as I figure out how to resize in GIMP!!

Can't seem to delete the image from my previous project. Just ignore. Looks like both images are here. Past and Current projects


Gassho
Anne

~st~

Oh, that's a gorgeous drawing Anne, exquisite! Please show more!
And thank you Shinshi for that programme info, I'm also going to check that out.
Gassho
Meitou
Sattoday

[Meitou]

Although showing my garden isn't my plan for this project, I thought I would post a couple of pictures that I took last week, just to assure folk that it's possible to be a part of this project if you also have a postage stamp sized space outside, in the middle of a town, surrounded by other buildings. Our yard measures just 9 metres by 2.8 metres, some of that taken up by steps down into the yard and a small covered space, which we have elevated by referring to it as The Shed, which houses our spare water tank - needed, as the water is frequently turned off in the evenings during the summer ( to make sure tourists don't go without , no comment) , and our gas bottle for cooking, as we have no mains gas here. There's also a smaller bottle attached to a camping stove in the shed, that we use in the summer to fry fish etc. No barbeque as these are strictly prohibited in urban spaces unless you have a rooftop terrace or large independent garden in which a bbq would not disturb neighbours. As small as it appears we are currently using 70 cm that actually belongs to our neighbour ( long story predating our ownership of the apartment) which will have to be given back at some point.

Although this is a very small space, it's gone through many reincarnations over the 18 years that we've had it. This year I wanted to grow suitable veg in pots and containers and also get a fruit tree of some sort, but the Covid-19 crisis changed all that as there was no way we could obtain compost or plants. Still I managed to sow some french bean, basil and coriander seeds, and keep mint and parsley going from last year. Our florist neighbours have now opened, so we have some cherry tomatoes planted. We have a small vine which is covered in tiny bunches of grapes, but whether they will come to fruition or not is another story. As you can see, it's a well lived in space, we've managed to fit in a chair and tables, a beach chair and sun lounger, cat basket, a small water feature with a fountain of sorts, and fairy lights. No electric outside so the latter are solar powered. I also have a tiny plastic covered 'greenhouse'

Ours is a truly urban yard, as you can see by the glorious view of surrounding palazzi Gardens truly do come in all shapes and sizes, and even the smallest can be made into something with a little imagination, even less money, but lots of enthusiasm.

The yard from the back door of our apartment

yard from top.jpg


From the shed entrance

yard from shed.jpg


From the back fence toward the shed and steps - complete with Pepe and looking a bit chaotic, but I snapped it as it was..

yard from back fence.jpg


Our urban landscape

view of palazzi intorno.jpg

After a bout of absolutely beautiful weather, we've had a couple of days of steady rain and wind. When the weather improves I want to make images for this project, of various plants and objects in the garden, probably through drawing or watercolour, possibly using images from Google earth as well.

Gassho
Meitou
sattoday lah

[Doshin]

Meitou,

Your yard invites a sit and a cup of coffee. Lovely.

Doshin
St

[Cooperix]

Meitou,

The coziness, the freshness, the intimacy and the feeling of lushness with so little space is just wonderful. Truly I envy you. As I've gotten older tending all this land has become something very different from my youthful enthusiasm. And a garden in the desert is something that cannot be ignored, unless, like Doshin's all native plantings (although I suspect Doshin spends time with some management in his garden. Entropy is always looking over our shoulders).

Your garden is lovely. Thanks. I very much look forward to see your 2-D response to it.
And yes, let's all meet for a cup of coffee in your little garden when this craziness ends!

bows
Anne

~st~

[Kotei]

Anne,
the stick is fascinating. Checking the garden after a storm, I usually collect some of them.
Some works in the garden need help from other people. From a book called 'The art of setting stones', I picked up the custom of making a little fire from those sticks and brewing tea-water on the fire, before starting the work. It helps setting the right mood.

Meitou,
your space invites for experimenting, planting and taking a rest. A wonderful creative atmosphere.

Here is my attempt of growing catnip for the flowers in a pot.
catnip.jpg

Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Cooperix]

Thanks Kotei,
I love sticks, old twisted bark laying bare the wood beneath. And I enjoy drawing segmented objects, leaves, roots, insects. Anyway, this is a good project for me right now, quiet and peaceful.

Your lovely practice of burning sticks to heat your tea reminds me of an essay by Barry Lopez. He is my favorite naturalist writer. A real nature empath and fine writer as well. This essay from years back is about a potter who lives near Lopez in the woods of Oregon. He fires with an anagama kiln, a Japanese style kiln, huge thing and built in the side of a hill. It takes days to fire it (wood is the fuel) and many people to help out. He ends the article writing about how he and the potter decide the next firing they will only use wood that's been gnawed on by beavers. It takes several cords of wood for each firing!! Like the sticks heating your tea. I love the symbolism of both intentions. Its a long article and I've not read it in years but so good I saved a printed version in my files. Here's an online version if anyone is interested. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Befor......-a020121815

And here's image of my garden in a salad bowl. First salad for 2 out of the spring garden.
salad.jpg

gassho
Anne

~lahst~

[Doshin]

And here's image of my garden in a salad bowl. First salad for 2 out of the spring garden.
salad.jpg

gassho
Anne

~lahst~[/QUOTE]


Anne, sticks are good!Beautiful art.

Kotei...nice ritual.

Anne..What are the yellow flowers in the salad?

Doshin
St

[Cooperix]

Doshin, We've had very warm weather and those are from the mustard which has started to bolt. Pretty though! I planted a mesclun mix, mustard, black seeded simpson, a red leaf lettuce and spinach. Soon they will all be bolting!
Bows
A

~st~

[Shoki]

Today is the first day we're out of the threat of frost. So I'm putting out all my annual flowers and edibles including tomatoes, pumpkins, peppers, oregano, basil, fennel, and some kind of raspberry salad greens(?). Also finally unwrapping my fig tree from its winter cloak and planting two new grape vines.

Gassho
STlah
James

[Jishin]

My garden.



Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__