INTRODUCTION TO THE GARDEN - PART FOUR

MAY 4TH, 2012

EAST SIDE STORY

The last posting was about the WEST SIDE of the GARDEN, so I will call it  WEST SIDE STORY, one of my all-time favorite pieces of theater. If you look at it thoroughly, you will see much of a theatrical nature in the whole garden. The combination of my early life in theater, theater design and prop-making, with love and knowledge of plant behavior, has allowed me to play creatively.


 Going through the Korean Arch, we proceed to the EAST SIDE STORY, which is mainly about various forms of MEDITATION GARDEN. We go through Bog Gardens and over a YATSUHACHI Bridge into the Asian Woodland Path or ROJI. Then continue past the First MACHIAI or waiting bench, past the Tongue-in-Cheek ZEN Garden with its Dry River Bed and Colorful CeramiKoi. We pass the ZEN Bored Husband's Meditation Bench at the entrance to the Gallery. We will then enter the Private, Tranquil, Inner, or Meditation Garden, TSUBONIWA, or Courtyard and Koi Pond Garden. After traversing the Civilization Courtyard, and over a small, humped, stone Transition bridge, we exit by the Civilization Gate, turn right to leave the garden, and, after a few paces, exit via the Emperor's Gate at the COMPLETION of the CIRCLE.


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KOREAN ARCH - BEGINNING OF EAST SIDE GARDEN
PHOTO CREDIT:  "KATE CINO, ARTOPENINGS,CA"

LOOKING TOWARDS THE BOG GARDEN

LOOKING NORTH ON WIDE RIVER
UPPER BOG GARDEN ON RIGHT

BOG GARDEN WITH YATSUHACHI BRIDGE

There are two bog gardens in this part of the garden. I really like looking down into into the plants when they are in flower. The ZIG-ZAG, or YATSUHACHI BRIDGE is from Japanese folklore, where the belief is that, if you are being chased by evil spirits you will likely be safe on the bridge as evil spirits only fly in straight lines.

BOG GARDEN WITH YATSUHACHI BRIDGE
PHOTO CREDIT:  "KATE CINO, ARTOPENINGS,CA"

GIANT SKUNK CABBAGE
PHOTO CREDIT:  "KATE CINO, ARTOPENINGS,CA"

ASIAN WOODLAND - ROJI

The ASIAN GARDEN contains only plants from Japan, China and Korea. ROJI is the name given to the woodsy pathway that leads to a waiting bench or MACHIAI on the way to the TEAHOUSE .  THE TEA CEREMONY - CHA-NO-YU, takes place in a rustic small house. It is from a Zen Buddhist Meditation Process

KERRIA JAPONICA  "GENTLEMAN'S BUTTON"

DETAIL OR MACHIAI OR WAITING BENCH IN THE ROJI PATH
PHOTO CREDIT:  "KATE CINO, ARTOPENINGS,CA"

LANTERN WITH WINDFLOWERS

EAST ROJI PATHWAY

ZEN GARDENS are normally very spare, being raked sand, gravel and rocks, giving the abstract impression of the dry landscape. They often include dry river beds and dry waterfalls. There are usually no flowers. I took liberties and made it a "TONGUE-IN-CHEEK ZEN GARDEN and added 100 COLORFUL CERAMIC KOI FISH that are made from thick porcelain tiles.

TONGUE-IN-CHEEK ZEN GARDEN
WITH
DRY RIVER BED WITH 100 CERAMIC KOI

DRY RIVER WITH PORCELAIN FISH

TONGUE-IN-CHEEK ZEN GARDEN WITH
DRY RIVER BED WITH 100 CERAMIC KOI.
TRADITIONAL CLOUD FORM BARRIERS MAY
BE REMOVED TO DRIVE  TRUCKS IN THE GARDEN.

TONGUE-IN-CHEEK ZEN GARDEN
WITH
DRY RIVER BED WITH 100 CERAMIC KOI

TONGUE-IN-CHEEK ZEN GARDEN
WITH
DRY RIVER BED WITH 100 CERAMIC KOI

TONGUE-IN-CHEEK ZEN GARDEN
DRY RIVER BED WITH 100 CERAMIC KOI
TRANSITION TO CHECKERBOARD

ZEN GARDEN WITH STONE JAPANESE LANTERN

ZEN GARDEN -  SILVER ISLAND

STEPS FRPOM GALLERY TO ZEN GARDEN
BORED HUSBAND'S MEDITATION BENCH TO LEFT

This path leads to the Meditation Garden in the form of a TSUBONIWA or Courtyard, Pond and Patio Garden. Judi's studio is down the stairs on the lower right.

PATH AND KOI GATE TO MEDITATION GARDEN

POND AND COURTYARD GARDEN - TSUBONIWA

Meditation Garden with views from in front of the Teahouse. Spectacular in Fall with 11 different Japanese Maples

POND AND COURTYARD GARDEN - TSUBONIWA

POND,  PATIO AND COURTYARD GARDEN - TSUBONIWA

MACHIAI - MEDITATION GARDEN

ROYAL FERN - OSMUNDA REGALIS;

POND AND COURTYARD GARDEN - TSUBONIWA

POND AND COURTYARD GARDEN - TSUBONIWA
PHOTO CREDIT: BILL TERRY

POND AND COURTYARD GARDEN - TSUBONIWA
LOOKING EAST

The last few images have shown the section of the garden called CIVILIZATION. One leaves by going over a stone, hump back  bridge, through Civilization, or Transition Gate and turning right up a short pathway to exit the whole  garden through  the EMPEROR'S GATE to the OUTSIDE WORLD.

TRANSITION GATE

PATH FROM EMPEROR'S GATE

NORTH TO EMPEROR'S GATE

EMPEROR'S GATE FROM HELLEBORE,  FERN AND HOSTA GARDEN

FERN AND HELLEBORE GARDEN

FAMILY CREST

EMPERORS -  GATE - FROM OUTSIDE

PATH TO EMPEROR'S GATE

TONGUE - IN CHEEK ZEN GARDEN WITH
BORED HUSBANDS MEDITATION BENCH

This bench area includes a TONGUE-IN-CHEEK MEDITATION BENCH FOR BORED HUSBANDS WHO REFUSE TO GO INTO THE GALLERY.

SHIGARAKI GOOD LUCK BADGER-BEARS

We  have now come full circle through the garden and back to the real world. This is how the garden looks like in mid spring 2012.  It is an Artist's Interpretation of the five basic styles of Japanese Garden, namely STROLL, SCROLL, TEA, ZEN and TSUBONIWA.


The garden is in continuous change through the seasons.  Plantings are selected with all seasons in mind, as our gallery at 'CHOSIN POTTERY is open year round. There are some parts that I haven't shown you yet as they are not exciting as yet. They will have their Time in the Spotlight soon.


I have been working on this ARTWORK for 35 years. I hope that you have enjoyed your visit. Come and visit the real thing some time.


My next posting will be on Monday, 7th May 2012. It will likely be considerably shorter than the last two!