Monthly Archives: January 2016

Sukiya Living magazine ranks Japan and North America gardens

The Adachi Museum and its surrounding gardens in Shimane prefecture are way up top on my bucket list. I have been hearing and reading about this place for years.

Once again, Adachi tops the garden ranking published by Sukiya Living: The Journal of Japanese Gardening in December of each year. The following link lists 50 gardens in Japan and another link at the bottom of this ranking leads to the 2014 rankings.

The 2015 garden ranking for gardens in Japan:

http://gardenrankings.com/

This link will take you directly to the Adachi Museum site:

https://www.adachi-museum.or.jp/en/

For the 2013 garden ranking for Japanese gardens in the United States and Canada, follow in this link. We have seen seven of the ten. There is a more current listing, but we could not locate a link.

http://zengardendreaming.com/?p=518

Shofuso koi

At Shofuso Japanese House and Garden in Philadelphia, koi are so happy they are snorting for joy — well, snorting for food, anyway!

How the Shiosai Project works, by Suikiya Living Magazine, the Journal of Japanese Gardening, published by Roth Teien:

http://gardenrankings.com/faqs/faqs.html

volunteer help

Careful maintenance on a daily basis is the key to a serene garden and Nitobe Memorial Garden in Vancouver BC practices this art

We welcome comments, but please do not waste your time trying to spam. All comments are reviewed before posting.

Seattle

Seattle Japanese Garden has the benefit of a well organized cadre of volunteers to assist park staff with maintenance, guided tours, programs and exhibits

Photographs otherwise not credited in a caption are by K.T. Cannon-Eger. If you re-post, please be nice and give credit.

For more information on Sukiya Living magazine and to subscribe, look for information at http://www.rothteien.com or write to Sukiya Living Magazine & Tours, P.O. Box 1050, Rockport Maine 04856.

Categories: Alberta, British Columbia, Canada, Japan, Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington state | Tags: , , , , , | 4 Comments

Private gardens add to general knowledge

One of the benefits of doing what we love and telling people about our travels is the occasional invitation to a private garden. Some are residential, some corporate, but they share the characteristic of being unavailable to the general public except for special occasions such as a group garden tour or other by-invitation-only event.

Such was the case with a residential garden and a corporate roof top garden, both in northern California.

the entry to a private residential garden in northern California photo by Bill F. Eger

the entry to a private residential garden in northern California
photo by Bill F. Eger

 

The back porch view goes on nearly forever, uniting the distant hills to the edge of the yard

The back porch view goes on nearly forever, uniting the distant hills to the edge of the yard

 

living room furniture is arranged to include the view and the garden

living room furniture is arranged to include the view and the garden

 

a view from the kitchen

a view from the kitchen continues unobstructed to a hillside waterfall, making great use of the natural terrain      photo by Bill F. Eger

The big lesson from this garden, once again, is the joy attained by inviting the outside in and extending the inside out. Every piece of furniture was arranged to take advantage of the view. No sofa was placed blocking a window. Distant views were “borrowed” to make the garden seem much larger.

The residential garden was in hilly country. Crossing a bridge into a busy urban area, we were invited to a roof top garden constructed decades ago. Within the past ten years, the trees and stones were lifted, repairs made, and all replaced to return serenity to the area.

 Japanese roof top garden

redone due to engineering concerns, the Japanese roof top garden offers serene views to corporate executives      photo by Bill F. Eger

 

a pathway runs between plantings to a lantern arrangement with coin basin Photo by Bill F. Eger

a pathway runs between plantings to a lantern arrangement with coin basin nearby Photo by Bill F. Eger

 

a closer view of the coin basin

a closer view of the coin basin

 

placement of this

placement of this coin basin brought to mind another basin in a different state, visible in the next photograph

which placement is correct?

Here is a coin basin in another state…which placement is correct?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this catalog photo from Kyoto confirmed the correct placement

Consulting friends in the business, this catalog photo from Kyoto confirmed the correct placement

This is one small way in which visiting one garden can assist another, even if it is a small thing like advising the southern garden to turn their basin around.

We welcome comments to this blog’s articles. Please do not waste your time trying to post spam. All comments are reviewed before publishing. Be nice.

Photos not otherwise credited are by K.T. Cannon-Eger. Should you choose to re-post a blog entry or use a photo, be nice and give credit. Mahalo and arigato.

 

 

Categories: California | Tags: , | 2 Comments

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