Author Archives: usjapanesegardens

About usjapanesegardens

Enthusiastic supporter of Japanese gardens; founding member of the North American Japanese Garden Association; member of the board of directors of Japanese Gardening dot org ; loves travel and photography

Light the Gardens

Posted on December 23, 2019 by usjapanesegardens

calendar item in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald

A modest illumination of Lili`uokalani Gardens will take place on Christmas eve from sundown until 9:00 p.m.

helper Bill with a selection of lights 2018

If you wish to help with placement of lights, come to the old sumo ring pavilion near the tea house at 4:00 p.m.

helper ties LED lights to Kushi Bridge

helper Amy Nishiura ties bamboo pole with solar-powered star to large square roof pavilion on the Lihiwai Street side of the gardens

firefly lights in Mason jars

solar lanterns by LuminAid light the stone lanterns around Waihonu

rechargeable light at the Prince Hitachi black pine 2018

view across Waihonu from the large square roof pavilion

a 2018 view across Waihonu toward the Kushi Bridge and small square roof pavilion

interior of small square roof pavilion, rebuilt by County carpenters last year

front of Shoroan illuminated in 2018

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Hillwood – Marjorie Merriweather Post’s estate in Washington DC

Posted on December 15, 2019 by usjapanesegardens

well-appointed gift shop at Hillwood

Purchased by Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1955, following divorce from her third husband, Hillwood is located at 4155 Linnean Avenue in NW Washington, D.C. During her lifetime, Hillwood became a place to showcase her collections, particularly Russian imperial art, and became a legendary social venue.

Marjorie Merriweather Post’s collection of shoes

Surrounding the Georgian mansion are several gardens: a cutting garden, a four seasons garden, a putting green, French parterre, lunar lawn, and a Japanese-style garden.

Hillwood in 2013, one of the few gardens open during a government shut-down

“She hired prominent landscape architects Umberto Innocenti and Richard Webel to expand the existing gardens,” the web site notes. “Thirteen acres of formal gardens extend from the house’s terraces and porches in a progression of outdoor rooms.” (from the Hillwood web site)

“Designed by Shogo Myaida and clearly reflecting Marjorie Post’s love of collecting decorative objects, this non-traditional Japanese garden offers action and intrigue instead of opportunities for contemplative meditation found in other Japanese gardens. ”

Marjorie Merriweather Post shows students the Japanese style garden in 1963 (Hillwood collection)

restored wooden bridge

“Myaida began his career working in an architectural firm in New York and soon began to build a network of influential people who were able to help him to find bigger and better jobs. A friend at the New York Botanical Garden helped him to get a job rehabilitating the grounds of a girls college in Georgia. Later, he went to Florida and worked for several well known architects in Palm Beach, where he first met Marjorie Merriweather Post, the cereal heiress, whose magnificent homes in Palm Beach and Washington D.C. were legendary. Myaida went back to Long Island in 1926 where he worked for a large landscape contractor, creating and improving many private gardens.

“During the Great Depression he scraped by, gardening and, in the winter, selling manure for mulch and sharing rent and food with fellow workers. “For many days,” he remembered, “we had rice and a big iron pot full of split pea soup on a big old coal stove in the kitchen.”

“In 1938, recovered from the depression years, he supervised the landscape design for the New York World’s Fair Japanese Garden and was in charge of its maintenance during the run of the fair. He married his young American secretary and bookkeeper in 1941, “and shortly after Japanese started to fight with America. We had quite a time. The FBI came over and check all my house and everything I had and they said that as long as I stayed in Albertson (New York) I do not need to go to Ellis Island.” He found jobs working in greenhouses during the war, and “then when the war was over, and get freer so I started designing gardens all around again.

“In 1952, Myaida read in a newspaper that Japanese-born people could become American citizens, and he applied for and received American citizenship. Shortly afterward Mrs. Post’s landscape architect contacted him about doing a Japanese garden at Hillwood, Mrs. Post’s 25 acre estate in Washington D.C. Myaida modestly remembered that the garden was “quite good,” and then added, “supposed to be one of the best on the East Coast.” Today the estate is a museum and garden, open to the public, and Myaida’s beautiful garden is in the process of restoration.”

*Much of information in this article, and all of the direct quotes, are from the transcript of an interview conducted with Shogo Myaida on July 10, 1988 by Dorothy Rony, New York Chinatown History Project; Lorie Kitazano, Queens college, Asian History Studies; and Lily Y. Kiyasu, Garden City, New York.

(from “A Trunk Full of Stories” by the Japanese American National Museum)

Shogo Myaida papers are housed in the collection of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt9n39s11w/entire_text/

Ann Stevens photo from Hillwood: during restoration, all the stones were carefully mapped using GPS and marked before being removed

gate at the lower end of the restored garden

For more information, go to the estate web site or phone 202.686.5807.

https://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/

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Maymont in Richmond, Virginia

Posted on December 11, 2019 by usjapanesegardens

Continuing tales of travel to Japanese-style gardens outside of Japan.

Maymont House in Richmond Virginia, an American country estate of the Gilded Age

Down path, through a gate and into a century-old Japanese garden.

minimal signage with maximum information

waterfall cascades from Italian garden up top into the shaded paths through the Japanese garden below

Bill at work

water crossing path and koi

gift azumaia for the centennial

centennial gift iris patch is weeded by volunteers

old concrete paths were replaced with gravel — the concrete rubble was used to create a more rolling landscape in one section

For more information, visit the Maymont web site.

https://maymont.org/estate/

 

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Learning opportunities in Phoenix and Portland

Posted on December 9, 2019 by usjapanesegardens
NEXT NAJGA REGIONAL
The next North American Japanese Garden Association Regional has been scheduled!
It will be held Friday, February 14 and Saturday, February 15 at
the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix, Ro Ho En.

More information will soon be available.
2020 SAVE THE DATES

FOR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN JAPANESE GARDEN ARTS
AT PORTLAND JAPANESE GARDEN
Waza to Kokoro: Hands and Heart, Level 1

This intensive, hands-on educational seminar is an immersive learning experience in Japanese garden arts, framed in the Culture of Tea and the art form of the tea garden. Come to Portland to learn stone setting, plant care, design, history and other related subjects directly from Japanese garden masters.  The course is designed for landscape practitioners from all disciplines.

Location:
Portland Japanese Garden and offsites

Dates:

June 8-14 (application opens Jan. 10, 2020)

Aug. 24-30, 2020 (application opens March 10, 2020)

With an Eye Towards Nature: A Japanese Garden Design Intensive

This three-day course created for design professionals focuses on the Japanese tradition of designing with nature, using the spectacular landscape of the Columbia Gorge as an outdoor classroom. Marc Treib, professor of architecture emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, and a noted landscape and architectural historian and critic, takes part in the last day’s design critique and gives a public talk the next day.

Dates: April 25-27 (application opens Feb. 1, 2020)

Tuition, conditions, program content and other details at japanesegarden.org/thecenter or from  kfaurest@japanesegarden.org
The Training Center is a recipient of the 2018 American Public Gardens Association award for program excellence.
Categories: Arizona, Oregon, Portland | Tags: | Leave a comment

Na Makua Christmas Gift Fair

Posted on December 6, 2019 by usjapanesegardens

The annual Na Makua Christmas Gift Fair starts today (Friday, December 6) at 3 p.m. and continues through 8 p.m. at the Afook-Chinen Civic Center on Manono Street in Hilo.

stalwart volunteers Amy Nishiura and her mother Gladys and Paula Wasson will be there to help you find what you need from Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens (photo by Sarah Anderson)

Items offered by Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens include the last of our centennial Tee shirts and tote bags.

Amy Nishiura accepts delivery of centennial tote bags from Kainoa Makua. The design is by his father Nelson Makua.

New items include the 2020 photography calendar, collector pin, and limited edition ornament.

The grand prize — a helicopter ride with Paradise Helicopters — for this year’s cover shot goes to Kris Hawkins.

The back cover features small views of each month, contact information for Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens, the logo for Paradise Helicopters, sponsor of the grand prize, and the bar code used by KTA SuperStores

Designed by Tiffany Prose and produced by The Makery

Produced by Hawaii Printing Center, this pin serves as one admission to pupu throughout the Banyan Drive Art Stroll on Saturday, January 11, 2020.

Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens is a 501(c)3 non-profit, mailing address: P. O. Box 5147, Hilo HI 96720.

Now that the annual Na Makua Christmas Gift Fair is over, those of you interested in pins, ornaments, calendars, tee shirts and tote bags may find them at Banyan Gallery on Banyan Drive in Hilo. Calendars are available at KTA Superstores in downtown Hilo and at Puainako as well as at Basically Books.

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Rake the Park

Posted on November 24, 2019 by usjapanesegardens
leaf rakers

Six large trash bags were filled with ironwood needles removed from the lawn and lava around the lantern from Fukushima prefecture

“Rake The Park”

a year-end, whole park cleanup
Tuesday, December 10, 8 a.m. to noon

Bring your rake and gloves to the old sumo ring
to get trash bags and your section of the gardens.
Additional chores available.
Refreshments and lunch provided.

P.O. Box 5147
Hilo Hawai`i 96720

Share this blog entry or this link to the PDF of the flyer with your friends and colleagues.

Rake the Park flyer single

A few additional pairs of gloves, rakes, pruners, lawn edgers, etc. will be available for use by those who who do not have their own tools.

On a previous visit, Takuhiro Yamada directed resetting of the stones and basin at the Shoroan tsukubai. Yamada is president of Hanatoyo Landscape in Kyoto.

Visiting Hilo for the day will be Takuhiro Yamada of Hanatoyo Landscape in Kyoto. Yamada has been helping Lili`uokalani Gardens since fall of 2014.

Special projects in the garden will happen under his direction again on Tuesday, December 10. Some advanced skills needed.

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“Joy in the Gardens” theme for Artists

Posted on November 18, 2019 by usjapanesegardens

Puna Taiko opened the day at noon outside Banyan Gallery, January 2019

The fourth annual Banyan Drive Art Stroll is set for the second Saturday in January — 11 January 2020 — from noon until 6 p.m. Events and activities will be held throughout the Banyan Drive area from Suisan Fish Market to Hilo Bay Cafe and Alii Ice, across Lili`uokalani Gardens to Banyan Gallery, to Castle Hilo Hawaiian Hotel and the Grand Naniloa Resort.

Ken Charon demonstrated during the 3rd annual Banyan Drive Art Stroll

Artists are invited to enter works in the annual judged competition. Theme is “Joy in the Gardens.”

Here is a link to the entry form. Deadline for entry is Friday, December 20, 2019. Please refer to the form for details.

BDAS Call To Artists 2020 approved

For more information on Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens, here is a link to a copy of our November 2019 newsletter:

Newsletter November 2019

 

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Fabulous Florals, part 3: A Moon Gate at the Edge of the Pond

Posted on November 10, 2019 by usjapanesegardens

a completed moon gate awaits couples who wanted to renew their marriage vows (photo by K.T. Cannon-Eger appears as a thumbnail in the 2020 photo calendar of Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens)

This is the third in a series on the floral design event in September that marked the conclusion of a state-wide series of workshops geared to wedding arrangements.

detail of a flyer and ad prepared for the state-wide floral design series of workshops (graphic design by Colin Gilliam)

Sponsored by the Hawaii Floriculture & Nursery Association and Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens, the Hilo workshop moved from Nani Mau Gardens into Lili`uokalani Gardens on Sunday morning, September 8. By noon there were three major locations for couples to use in renewing their marriage vows.

Alison Higgins of Grace Flowers Hawaii in Honoka`a (photo by Sarah Anderson)

Locations were scouted months in advance. This spot was chosen by Hitomi Gilliam AIFD of Vancouver BC Canada and Alison Higgins of Grace Flowers Hawaii in Honoka`a. Higgins provided the structure and her team worked on installing the design.

barrels full of flowers and foliage were needed to fill this design (photo by Rita French)

the design filled the structure front and back, top to bottom (photo by Sarah Anderson)

Tony and Judy Graaf were participants in the floral design workshop and the first couple to register for wedding vow renewal with Rev. Katlin McCallister of Church of the Holy Apostles in Hilo (photo by Sarah Anderson)

Brenna Quan, Judy Graaf, Hitomi Gilliam, Tony Graff, and Alison Higgins by the moon gate (photo by Sarah Anderson)

Cathey and Roger Kizey celebrate 50 years of marriage by heading across the Isemoto Bridge toward the moon gate where they renewed their vows with Rev. Katlin McCallister (photo by Rita French)

Cathey and Roger Kizey (photo by Rita French)

People passing by also made use of the floral structures.

The previous blog entries covered the white pillars set up near the arched stone bridge and a floral chandelier in the bamboo patch. The next blog entry will cover the background effort necessary to bring all of this beauty to the gardens.

Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens provided the registration tent, site, security, ministers, and photographers. Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association provided the floral designs, mechanics and product plus talent. The workshop participants also provided bouquets, head pieces, and lei to the ministers and couples.

At the end of the day, the structures were taken down and all the flowers were given away.

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Fabulous Florals, Part 2: Chandelier in the Bamboo Patch

Posted on November 6, 2019 by usjapanesegardens

HFNA sponsored Wedding Celebrations June through September 2019 throughout the state with sponsorship from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Hawaii County Department of Research & Development
(flyer design by Colin Gilliam)

Floral design workshops held at Nani Mau Gardens in Panaewa moved into Lili`uokalani Gardens on Sunday morning, September 8. When the floral design teams were done at noon, three decorated sites were utilized for wedding vow renewal ceremonies.

Galyn Williams, Brenna Quan, and Alison Higgins plot a plan for a floral chandelier in the bamboo patch (photo by K.T. Cannon-Eger)

 

Brenna Quan deeply involved in the creation (photo by Sarah Anderson)

Phoebe Anderson with Galyn Williams and Brenna Quan (photo by Rita French)

Phoebe Anderson (photo by Rita French)

Brenna Quan of Victoria BC (see the legs!) is almost done with the bamboo chandelier (photo by K.T. Cannon-Eger)

finished bamboo chandelier detail (photo by Sarah Anderson)

The first couple gets their first look at the chandelier (photo by Rita French)

Yuka and Dennis Blinn renew their vows with Rev. Satoshi Tomioka of Puna Hongwanji Buddhist Temple (photo by Sarah Anderson)

Yuka and Dennis Blinn with Rev. Satoshi Tomioka (photo by Sarah Anderson)

LaRonde and Adrian DeMello II renew their vows with Rev. Katlin McCallister of Church of the Holy Apostles (photo by Rita French)

LaRonde and Adrian DeMello II with Rev. Katlin McCallister (photo by Sarah Anderson)

LaRonde and Adrian DeMello II (photo by Sarah Anderson)

The previous blog entry covered the white pillars set up near the arched stone bridge. The next blog entry will cover the moon gate set up in view of the red bridge.

Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens provided the registration tent, site, ministers, and photographers. Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association provided the floral designs, mechanics and product plus talent. The workshop participants also provided bouquets, head pieces, and lei to the ministers and couples.

At the end of the day, the structures were taken down and all the flowers were given away.

Categories: Hawaii, Hilo | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2020 Photography Contest Calendar Released

Posted on November 5, 2019 by usjapanesegardens

The grand prize — a helicopter ride with Paradise Helicopters — for this year’s cover shot goes to Kris Hawkins.

The fourth annual photographers contest to create a Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens 13-month calendar for 2020 received digital entries from professional and hobbyist photographers.

Judging was Charles Wood, a semi-retired landscape, nature, and travel photographer.

Wood remarked, “For a photographer, joy is simply being there, even if the light doesn’t work to his or her advantage. Those who develop a passion for photography will tell of their joy in the actual capture of an image they have pre-visualized.”

Chairman Vijay Karai said, “Thirteen images from eight photographers will appear as featured images for each month. In addition, 26 thumbnail size images, two images to each calendar page, will round out the total view of the gardens.”

The back cover features small views of each month, contact information for Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens, the logo for Paradise Helicopters, sponsor of the grand prize, and the bar code used by KTA SuperStores

Taking Grand Prize is Kris Hawkins of Opihikao. His “Bridge at Sunrise” was chosen by the judge as the cover image and the featured photograph for the month of August. Charles Wood also selected three additional images by Hawkins for the featured images for the months of January, May, and July. In addition thumbnail images by Hawkins will appear in March and July. Grand prize is a doors-off helicopter ride with professionals Bruce Omori and Mick Kalber courtesy of Paradise Helicopters.

“I picked up photography in high school, back in the days of film. Just recently, I got back into it while backpacking and camping,” Hawkins said. “I love Lili`uokalani Gardens. It is such a surprise to have so many images accepted.”

Photographers whose work will be featured in the calendar and the months include: Jay Takaaze (February and April), Alan Kubota (November and December), Rita French (June), Kenneth Jackson (March), Faith Cloud (September), Lisa Schwenneker (October), and Lucy Fischer (January 2021). Takaaze was the cover winner for 2019 and Jackson for 2017. Fischer is a fifth grader who entered for the first time. Her thumbnail images appear in March, June, and July.

“Early Morning Stroll” by Jay Takaaze was selected as the image for April

Additional thumbnail images, two to a calendar grid page, are from photographers Faith Cloud (September), Diane Koerner (October), Darrin Carlson (August), K.T. Cannon-Eger (October and January 2021), Alan Kubota (May and June), Eh Cuz (December), Kenneth Jackson (January 2020), Lisa Schwenneker (January 2020, April, and November), Lee Schechtman (April, May, September, and November), and Eileen Tredway (February and December).

Graphic design by Ken Goodrich of Volcano, a well-known photographer and videographer, also brings a wealth of east Hawaii events to calendar production. Dates for every known activity from Merrie Monarch Festival to the KWXX Ho`olaulea are included.

In this sample of a month’s grid, Hilo and state-wide events are listed along with two thumbnail images selected by judge Charles Wood

Printing by Hawaii Printing Corporation keeps all the work on Hawaii Island. Copies of the fund raising calendar may be purchased from KTA SuperStores at Puainako and Downtown in Hilo, Banyan Gallery on Banyan Drive near the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, or Basically Books.  Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens will have copies available at the annual Na Makua Christmas Gift Fair at the Afook-Chinen Civic Center Friday and Saturday December 6 and 7.

The first of two pages of historic photos encourages the public to look through family scrapbooks

Also included in the 2020 calendar are two pages of historical photos with an invitation to the public to review their family scrapbooks and share images from Lili`uokalani Gardens.

A photographer’s exhibit will be part of the fourth annual Banyan Drive Art Stroll on Saturday, January 11, 2020.

Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens may be contacted through the organization’s Facebook page or by writing to P. O. Box 5147, Hilo HI 96720.

To view any image in a larger size, just click on the image. Please respect the copyrighted images.

Thoughtful and curious comments are welcome. Spamers and scammers need not bother. All comments are reviewed before posting.

Categories: Hawaii, Hilo | Tags: , , | 1 Comment

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