Steve Snedeker’s Landscaping and Gardening Blog

This is a trip through a less naturalistic and more man-made aspect of the Japanese Garden. That is not to say there is no Naturalism. Far from it. It is always that interplay, in fact, that seems to be evoked in any Japanese Garden and it is the gift they supply us as we walk through them.

The trip around the Japanese Garden is a marvel of tightly-controlled randomness, a weird sort of dialectic speaking of the tension of Nature and man coexisting in a common theme - the enhancement of each. Man shows Nature off here. We see the incredible beauty of the Koi, colorful, gorgeous and sinewy, swimming lazily in still water ponds.

We look at the pruned wonder of a Japanese Black Pine tree, its branching looking wild and anarchistic, yet controlled somehow all the same, driven by man’s hand to display features which we once just potentials, now gorgeous like some work of art.

The natural wonders of the plants and animals all arranged in successive steps unfolding in front of us then yields to those constructions which are even more challenging to the eye: the strictly man made constructions.

There are two exceptional garden pieces composed of white granite bits - resembling sand almost, or even water - which pose this stunning sort of stark foreground for a very limited display of natural products. The top picture shows the upright “Shibumi” rock, arresting in its solitude and quite interesting as a natural shape. Its naturalness is sort of undone by its obvious human placement but its antiquity and timelessness represents the natural world without further explanation. The chances are great the rock is a billion years old. Its preciousness is secured by its loneliness as the sole representative of Time itself. The smaller rocks arranged around it represent a nearly social grouping, separated by the raked surface which most represents water, ironically, and the shimmering effects always revealed when touched no matter how lightly. The minimalism of these characteristics speaks unheard volumes in explaining the ripples of Time and Cause and Effect, connected as they are by a human rake and shovel. It proves that tension is evocative.

The garden below is a personal favorite part of the Garden.This one has a different purpose from the tight, tense placidity of the ones above. This one’s purpose is similar in that the foreground of the white granite pebbles gives an almost liquid serenity. The sole raked beam, coursing through it in a curving and sensuous manner gives us that hint of humanity and the grace of artistic human forms, but it does not intrude on the clarity of the vista the entire complex gives. Here we have the openness of a clearing where the distance seems farther than it is. The optical illusion is effective. It is as if the forces aggregated across the still surface pile up in their diversity, and form a nice crowd of potential friends and enemies.

The plants around this garden actually hide it well, which adds to the sense of solitude and discovery when one encounters it. I mean, it’s a huge area.  But who knew??  I absolutely love that idea, as well as the rest of it. It seems we are offered solitude at almost every turn in this delightful garden.

Meanwhile, other man made articles pop out at us from surprising spots as we walk. The Japanese and Chinese both love etching their comments on gorgeous natural stones, arranging them in artistic and very appealing ways.

The commentary is typically minimalistic and in poetics, describing the wonder and mystery of all things. Meanwhile, other rocks are placed simply and starkly, features of their own, giving us a glimpse at the unchanging character of Nature and her Timelessness. They stick out like small explanation points, highlighting Nature’s beauty of form and the randomness of beauty itself, if only we have the ability to see it.

This Garden is so representative of the Japanese Art of Gardening it is actually somewhat astounding in its purity. This was the first of many trips for me to this gorgeous spot. It will definitely be a highlight for visiting friends and family, much the same as the Portland Chinese Garden where I actually played an active role in its construction, as seen and explained in this blog elsewhere.

Nor am I done. Next, I will address yet more man-made aspects of the garden, this time taking a look at the sculptures and artwork, including the constructions of the garden gates and arbors.

You will have to prepare for some semi-literate ranting in this post. I do not claim to be an accomplished writer. I am neither trained for it nor gifted at it. But, having said that, this Japanese Garden has unleashed the author in me - the wordsmith, looking for just the appropriate phrase to somehow represent what I see in the sheer tension and pleasure in this garden’s little wonders.

The subtle care lavished on this huge shrub - intense though it is - presents a weird combination of repose and tension as we appreciate the sheer amount of work and detail put into these tiniest of natural matters. The interplay of light amid the branches with all the supple and robust branching patterns remind us of an immaculately groomed royal personage, perhaps Medieval, en route to some ceremony of real importance. The Japanese talk to us through their landscaping, reminding us that such values as cooperating with Nature reward us in ways we never knew before we encounter them anew, freshly-delivered for our now-new observation. Refreshed therefore, we are able to assess the next wonder, like a taste of ginger to refresh the taste buds.

The needles on this Japanese Black Pine resemble background puffs of cloud or smoke, nearly secondary to the dark bark of its branches and the basic and unruly passionate forms Nature, once again, has given to us  as options. The tree therefore becomes a palette for the artist, yet another cooperative venture between man and nature. There is a controlled wildness to the effect, if such a thing seems even possible. For me, it embodies study and repose, a stunning adjustment which never gets old owing to the timelessness of the concept itself and the wildness of Nature’s invariable push towards renewal. There is something essentially poetic about the utter Zen of Japanese Landscape Architecture. Surreal almost, it demands contemplation when you are sat in front of it for any period of time. It “comes to you”, corrosively. And that is a good thing.

The topiary effects of so much of the true Japanese gardening style serves similar purposes. They speak of taming - in the strictest possible ways -in almost apparently cruel manner - the wildness of Nature. But it is also done in service of the garden for human enterprise itself and the plants have proven - much like the dog or horse - to truly not mind so much. The other purpose served is economic, oddly enough. By pruning, we reduce their spatial girth and obstructive size so that these plants allow us to see more. It’s really fairly simple. Nor do we need to acquire others when these get too darn big.

The other effect achieved is strictly artistic. Those shapes provide yet another form - and yet another feast - for the eye. They can be trained to develop along predictable and satisfying lines and, therefore once again return us to the cooperative spirit achieved in these gardens, between man and Nature.

They can return us to primordial forest origins - a trip to an ancient clearing:

Or they can welcome us home to serenity and our own sense of ourselves, our home and our great good fortune in our humaness:

The straight lines and eye-catching geometric’s of Japanese Gardens we get a glimpse of in the above picture. They literally impact modern architecture more than we tend to think. The clean lines and geometric patterns are more than just a pretty face. They nearly always tell a story, full of complexity and depth of thought.

Japanese Gardens are invariably geared to make one contemplative. Unfortunately, they are also geared to making you want to talk about them in a literary style. There are so few other ways in which to speak of them, though. They require attention, detail and a depth. I hope no one minds my rants on the subject. I adore them.

Next time, our final visit to this lovely garden. We will look at the various sculptures there and the amazing gardens of fine white granite. I hope you have enjoyed this little trip.

(click pictures to enlarge……..for some…..a lot!)

This trip was a revelation to me. In spite of the fact that I have lived here on and off for 6 years, I am truly ashamed to say I had never visited this gorgeous garden. Wow! is all I can say. I am dumb. This garden is one of the most highly-ranked Japanese Gardens in the entire world and, without doubt, deservedly so. I have actually been to Japanese Gardens in Japan - Kyoto, in fact - so my failure to take this one in deserves a special sock in the chops for missing it. It was quite a revelation.

Fortunately, it was a warm and sunlit day here in late September - almost too warm in fact. We had some eastern winds (our version of Santa Ana’s) which brought the heat of the desert in and made my huge walk just a bit more challenging than I had figured it would. I put in about 5-6 miles before even landing at the Garden, I so enjoyed Washington park, inside which is this Garden, along with the Rose Garden across the street. But the peaceful serenity and the amazing eye candy upon entering was the perfect salve for the tired legs and flagging spirit I encountered briefly, before entering. My camera was very busy!

The simple fact is that there is literally so much to appreciate here, it dazzles the senses. As someone who had always appreciated the gorgeous and simple lines inherent in most Japanese Gardens. I was blown away with any number of things. For one thing, there is some sort of water just everywhere. Running creeks, some good sized lakes - there is more water in this particular garden than in any it has been my good fortune to see. Small waterfalls of a most placid sound and sight, leading to still ponds full of Koi.

Since I am dealing only with the aspect of water in the garden in this episode, I must pay my deepest respects to one of the single most beautiful waterfalls I have literally ever seen. This materializes out of the woods, as it were, in an extremely logical place, supposedly draining the mountainous hillside to its rear.

I took pictures from a few different angles, to try and capture not only its fairly impressive size, but also the utterly organic sense it provides, coming as it does off the nearby mountainside. Nor does the sound of it even matter - somehow it is not oppressive nor overwhelming in any way. I guess it is distant enough to stop all that. It seems to blend so well, it actually just seems - aurally - just another organic piece in a bigger puzzle. It does not stand out in any way but visually. But man, for this waterfall maven, it knocked my socks off. I absolutely love it in every way.

Seen here (above) we see the falls in the distance from the top of a nearby hill. Vantage points for these falls are everywhere, seen between the trees and the stupa sculpture below, complete with real, authentic tourists like me:

And that’s not all the gorgeous and settling water around this Garden. Here are a few other looks at more intimate settings, all of which grant a peaceful flow to this gorgeous park.

From the smallest and seemingly insignificant dripping effects of a bamboo water tube:

To a far more natural and extremely unique feast for the eyes:

The water features and the placements in general of flora and natural features represents the very best in the art of Japanese Gardens. I will close today with these pictures, focusing on water and those who live in it:

People have a weird view of lighting that may just be outdated. I find a lot of clients who look fairly mystified when I mention what some lights in a landscape could do for them and invariably end up explaining the entire verse and legend in a long spiel that wears us all out. For what it’s worth, those who I convince to try it invariably applaud their great good sense in purchasing said lights when all is said and done. The fact is, outdoor lighting any more is stunningly easy to set up. The advent of low-voltage lighting is a supremely promising development, bringing it well within the realm of budgetary possibility as well as in its newer ease of installation. A transformer, some wire, a few lights, a plug in and you are off to the races as a lit up maven of outdoor night time beauty and wonder. Suddenly, instead of some dismally dark and foreboding atmosphere outdoors in the dark, we find ourselves drawn even more outdoors, relishing the sights, sounds and personal gorgeousness of our own yards and landscaping.

It also has remarkable results. I have taken the liberty of borrowing a few pictures from John Stone, a friend oft-mentioned in here, who runs a successful local business and who is a true lighting expert and who also - more importantly - has had the wherewithal to actually take pictures at night! These will illustrate some of what I refer to as conceptual guidelines to this very refreshing and increasingly popular aspect of landscaping.

As shown in the above photo, lighting can be used as a simple accent, highlighting desired features in a landscape well worth highlighting. In this case, we have a creek with falls, the lighting for which can not only be seen alongside the creek itself with its running water, but which can also be placed under the falls to highlight them as well. In fact, many times a roaring little set of falls can yield an absolutely “phosphorescent” glow - just an incredibly beautiful sight. What John has done with this particular setting was to shine light along the sides of the creek as well. This is a definitely high rent solution and is as gorgeous as you could want. It makes the creek simply stand out as a true garden feature, drawing the eye to the entirety of the little roaring river. By highlighting such a feature, he has drawn complete attention to what the lighting conceptualizers call a “hot” lighting scenario. “Hot” lights are brighter, simply put, and they are intended to draw the eye. Around them, we might put softer lighting, for example “up lit” trees, walls and, say, rocks whose features are worthwhile but whose status in the lighting hierarchy serve a far different purpose.  Take this tree for example:

Disregarding the glaring light at the front for a moment (for the record, it is practically impossible to take lighting pictures at night owing to the apparent glare of other lights in the way which are not that obsequious in real life, trust me) imagine that tree highlighted at depth, say 40-50 feet away from the house.  This tree is up lit from the ground and therefore featured from hidden sources. Depending on the actual placement of this - or any other tree or similar feature - this can actually act as well as a sort of “wall” of your outdoor “room”, with other trees and features up lit to give a sense of depth and finality to the walls of the outdoor room. The point being that one can literally produce a sense of an outdoor environment complete with a terminating “room wall” with simple lighting. It encompasses and proscribes the area desired to highlight and makes things amazingly intimate and finite.

Other uses for lighting of course involve every aspect of patio life, from “down lighting” accents to accentuation of the gorgeous carpentry features of a gazebo or patio construction. The lights illuminate an entire environment in this situation, providing security and awareness for the party folks who will pour into your patio by the thousands. Trust me.

It’s been an odd month around this poster. In spite of the apparent message implicit in the first picture below, I have not been on a big bender (as much as I might have preferred it!), but, rather, have had a few technical issues to battle as well as just a sort of a need for a break. Well, I am back again, with a very nearly repaired computer - the one with the “real pictures” on it. Having figured it was toast - and having been told so by a geek-not-to-be-named-or-recommended, I find I have an utterly fixable major unit now in the shop and nearly better. Let’s move on, then. Today, I just want to entertain a little bit. I hope no one minds.

Having lived in Reno, Nevada, I once got totally surprised and delighted when an old schoolmate went and tried to get me to accompany her to the Burning Man Festival, this most wild event that takes place in the Black Rock Desert about 70 miles outside of Reno. That particular stretch of old lake bed is also famous for the site of the world’s fastest car, the British entry into the world speed sweepstakes and a winner, I might add, with this man driving that crazy rig of his faster than the speed of sound. The photo’s of that event redounded all over the local news and I pinched a few great shots I have kept on disk. Pretty remarkable stuff, really. If, that is, you want to travel 733 MPH, lol.

More peacefully - in fact, I suppose the epitome of “peacefully” - the Burning Man event may be the lunatic fringe of peacefulness - aside from the obsession with fire, that is. Anyway, it was 3 years ago that I accompanied her there and it was an experience I shall never forget. It was an absolute mental picnic, with creativity just off the charts. They paint themselves up and there is this beating, throbbing Rave music playing 24/7 in the background, all of which add to a sort of interesting tension in the air of a surprisingly accepting sort. I loved it all, frankly, but some of the art vehicles and the artwork itself was truly astounding and made the trip something more than I ever expected. I was shocked at it.  Here are some images from Burning Man:

Semi Trailer Art anyone?

Funky and historical! (or is that hysterical?)

Here’s a nice, peaceful ride:

A kinetic work of art:

Yes, these are both vehicles, lol:

Some crazy, crazy art:

Back to the cars and, yes, these all move and transport people while there: (This one is multi-purpose!…..with its partner in crime, the Venus Fly Trap, this one is gorgeous at night)

and quite functional during the 90 degree days:

Here’s a vehicle for Everyone………..(literally, lol)

and another big guy, not quite as warm and cuddly:

Finally, you could get amazed now and then by stunning human sights as well:

All in all, a definite few eye fulls of stuff at Burning Man. For more, check out their website, amazing stuff: http://www.Burningman.com

The term “mulch” itself is defined as follows: “In agriculture and gardening, mulch is a protective cover placed over the soil, primarily to modify the effects of the local climate. A wide variety of natural and synthetic materials are used.”

While this statement is largely true, I would like to add that we often apply mulch for strictly aesthetic reasons as well. Many times a “mulch” in this sense is just a layer laid over the top of soil to present a “look”. For example, the project in this picture had an interesting set of boulders - all fractured rock, mined nearby - against which the layer of smaller rock we installed matched well and also provided and excellent background for the color represented in the shrubbery and perennial flowers.

(click on pictures to enlarge)

A more mature look at this landscape a year later shows the effect is still working:

Still other forms of mulch do indeed act as either agents to hold water for a longer period, defying the sun’s rays and evaporative power, or acting as resistance to infestations of weeds and volunteers. Bark Mulch is the perfect example of this quality and it can also look pretty nice. Here, then is a small tour of bark mulch, from my projects in the past. The first two are representative of bark from Douglas Fir, tending towards the reddish color:

The bark mulch shown below is a darker variety - an aged Hemlock mulch becoming more popular in Portland, Oregon these days. It is more often characterized as “bark dust” - owing to its smaller size. One reason I tend to use it often is that it resembles the soil color and makes a deeper, darker background. It works fabulously as a water retainer and weed preventer, being nice and tight and much less prone to blowing away in the wind. Nor does it need the “freshening” the redder varieties of bark mulch require. As it ages, it still looks good.

My personal biases lead more towards rocks as mulch, however. They are definitely more permanent and, to me, they just make a more interesting look. I like varying the rock, bear in mind. It seems to me to give a depth and interest that is very easily achieved, simply by the contrast of materials. Here’s a project that was real straightforward that gained immensely from having something interesting laid on the ground. A little variation can go a long way:

At times, we found disposing of rocks created during excavations for irrigation and or walls and sidewalks became easier when we used it as material to use in the beds. I mean, who knew we had such resources right under our very feet??? Heck, we had found uses for “Those dam rocks.”:

In the end, garden mulches are useful and can be aesthetically pleasing. Of course, I am also of the opinion, often, that dirt still works best, but sometimes plants themselves work better!:

Hey, I’m a dirt fancier!

What is the future, then, of brick pavers?  Have all creative avenues been blocked owing to their new popularity or are there people out there discovering new ways of experiencing the art of driveway and Piazza construction? The answer to that touches on our personal and community expectations regarding our outdoor environments.  I am more than pleased to say that the future is very bright indeed, as can be seen in this tiny sampling relating to the possibilities inherent in the paving art.

Brick pavers have evolved to such an extent that pictures such as the one above now represent a possibility that never existed before in a non-modular form.  The freeing up of ideas based on modularity and small sectioned pieces represents amazing possibilities for the enterprising designer.

Here are some other examples of what could happen and has: The first one below was designed on a computer using musical references in a mathematical formula….”resonances”, I believe the architect mentioned. It is from a Toronto, Canada plaza outside a facility that features music. I can only imagine the contractor scratching his head over the placement of the pavers, lol. Like many architects, they design, we install.  “Figure it out and make it work.” is a common enough statement.  Just the same, it is a fascinating bit of work, beyond doubt.

Here’s your standard average serenidpitous piece of driveway reckoning, a little on the whimsical side and surely not for everyone.  I just enjoy the fantastic sort of element of it all, myself and, yes, I would use it.

Look out!  This one is a mind blower, lol, all pavers.

Aside from the whimsical, however, are other sizes and style of pavers a bit more standard, yet still interesting, allowing many different possibilities as well. These are your larger compressed concrete pavers that are also seeing wide usage any more:

Here is a variety of more standard pavers from the “tumbled” editions below in the prior post. These have some definite benefits over the tumbled variety especially when sealed with a “wet” looking sealer. The glossy appearance gives them a glossy sheen which really brings out color.

They start out much like in the picture below. Once installed and “grouted” with dry sand swept between the cracks, we then wash them off and apply this sealer for the above look. In fact, the first picture is a similar brick color as the one below. We actually opted not to seal the one below for reasons of budget and the overall effect, inasmuch as it is not the main driveway. But for anyone who might be interested, we generally do begin where we can establish a straight line, then work out from there during construction.

Here are a few more examples of non-tumbled pavers and their finished look:

Here’s a before an after look at a set of pavers we finished with the same sealant material, giving a glossier look as opposed to where we began.

I just love this “Bishop’s Hat” pattern of bricks. This is call “Cream and Tan” which seems to typify it very well indeed:

Others, the first one sealed with a semi gloss treatment, then those after, without sealant at all:

Originally, brick pavers were all designed to adhere to a strict sort of glossy perfection, all snugged up and colorful and astoundingly exact. But newer technologies developed a system of “tumbling” brick pavers which allowed them to thrash around inside a rotating container filled with sand and a few other pavers and which took off all the sharp edges and yielded a very interesting look - more weathered, almost antiqued. What it allowed was an interesting sort of sense of history right away.

The muted tones and apparently irregular edges of the tumbled product became another approach altogether.

Here’s a standard “tumbled” paver look that goes all the way around front:

This next one is paired with the one following it. It’s a downright huge patio using rough, tumbled pavers with an interesting laying pattern. Click the pictures to enlarge, especially the second one:

Click to enlarge

Another “rough” style paver (tumbled), offers some “antiquing” to a newer project:

Same place from the other side of the house, leading to the rear:

Same place, just walking around the house more:

We’ve been here before in this blog, and recently, but I thought these still bore a look, considering the theme:

At any rate, one can see how these do indeed look far rougher and more sort of “historical”. The cracks are always sand filled and the surfaces are generally easily walkable. Yes, care has to be taken to select pavers which won’t cause accidents from such things as high heels or walking canes - the pavers can get pretty chipped and miss entire corners - but that’s easy to do. Next, I will contrast these tumbled pavers with the fully intact varieties.

Sitting outdoors on our patios can get quite addictive.  Sometimes those gorgeous Summer nights can make us want to linger into the cooler hours - even quite late - alone or with a loved one and just savor what the quiet side of Nature and modern life has to offer.  It can be equally nice, or even nicer, to spend a cool afternoon or evening outdoors, simply because it is just so darn fresh and because it offers a sanctuary from the madding crowds. Many times, unfortunately, it is just too cool to really enjoy, in spite of how alluring the prospect of an hour or two out of doors might seem.

Fire pits are the modern landscaping alternative to outdoor heaters.  Their gentle flames remind us of the stark importance that fire itself has played in our development as a species.  Fire is the one element of nature which serves the most constructive and destructive services of our lives at the most immediate level. Fire cooks, but it also warms.  Of all the 4 primary elements, fire is the one most often lacking in our lives. The addition of fire into a landscape is an amazing element. In the modern push towards more outdoor living and comfort in 4 season climates, the  elevation of the constructed fire pit to an aspired-to factor in our landscapes is an interesting turn.

Whether a fire pit is an introduced item of some artistic interest, such as the pre fab piece above, complete with some rustic seating around it, or whether - as in the picture below - it is a literal “pit”, mixed into the floor mix among this cement in a Reno patio, they provide that warmth that can extend a party or a simple outdoor sojourn for hours.

The fire pits shown here are all gas-fed with controls, of course, allowing a certain amount of flame to generate the desired heat.  Dials are hidden below the brass caps which control the volume of gas used to generate the level of heating desired. Typically red lava rocks which retain heat so well, are placed over the grids where the gas emits and, as the top picture shows, artificial wood pieces can even add a semblance of rustic charm and authenticity.

Nor is this to say that gas-powered fit pits are the be-all and end-all.  The picture below shows a simple construction where we excavated a hole, laid in a grill, built up the sides with mortar and local rock and allowed this family to burn wood when they chose.  It worked marvelously and is often the focal point for parties.

In the end, fire pits and constructions dedicated to providing heating outdoors of any kind are a terrific development in landscaping construction.  They allow us to spend yet more time outdoors, away from televisions and computers and give us that chance we so often need to commune with nature and with one another, late into otherwise cool nights. Naturally, the innate fascination we find regarding fire itself - the licking flames and fire behavior in general - are among the most fascinating scientific and spiritual subjects in our entire history.

If you enlarge this picture, you can see the gas line feeding this fire construction from the bottom.