U.S. Japanese Gardens

Big park cleanup set for Saturday

Posted on March 16, 2016 by usjapanesegardens

Easter approaches (Sunday, March 27) and that signals a season of renewal to which Merrie Monarch Festival is attached. Before an estimated 12,000 visitors descend on Hilo for the annual hula event, Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens is calling on the gardening community to participate in an all-park cleanup Saturday, March 19, from 8 a.m. to noon.

County of Hawai`i department heads, Lions, Master Gardeners, kenjin kai, Boy Scouts, and other community groups have been invited to participate.

Please gather down the steps and ramp off Banyan Drive at the flat area near the lion dogs that were a gift from Nagasaki.

one of two lion dogs from Nagasaki

Participants are reminded to wear closed toe shoes, eye protection and gloves. Some tools and trash bags will be provided, but it would be a good idea to bring your favorite rake.

For further information, please contact Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens at (808) 895-8130.

Categories: Hawaii, Hilo | Tags: Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens, Liliuokalani Gardens | 1 Comment

Blue Zones Project in East Hawaii to hold gardening workshop at Lili`uokalani Gardens

Posted on February 15, 2016 by usjapanesegardens

http://bluezonesproject.hs-sites.com/hawaii/ehcommunityupdatenewyear2016

“Blue Zones Project is a collaboration between Hawaii Medical Service Association and Healthways to help improve the well-being of all people in Hawaii as measured by the Gallup-Healthways Well Being Index®. By taking an environmental approach to well-being improvement, we have an opportunity to create real change in our community – the kind of change that sparks people’s deepest desires to live well while giving them the tools to do so.”

The Master Gardeners of East Hawaii will participate with a Blue Zones Project gardening workshop in Lili`uokalani Gardens Thursday, February 25, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

East Hawaii Master Gardeners Association will present a raised bed gardening demonstration. There will be a plant give-away at this free event. (photo courtesy of EHMGA)

The short workshop plus demonstrations will be held on the Lihiwai Street side of the County park, across from Hilo Bay Cafe.

For further information or to register for the free event, please go to the Blue Zones Project East Hawaii link listed in their recent newsletter.

http://bluezonesproject.hs-sites.com/hawaii/ehcommunityupdatenewyear2016

Categories: Hawaii, Hilo | Tags: Blue Zones Project, East Hawai`i Master Gardeners | Leave a comment

Progress at Shoroan with help from Kyoto

Posted on February 9, 2016 by usjapanesegardens

restoring the tsukubai at Shoroan began with a survey of present conditions

Takuhiro Yamada and Philippe Nault check everything while board member Kenji Kuroshima looks on

Visiting landscaper Takuhiro Yamada, principal of Hanatoyo Landscape in Kyoto, brought a wealth of knowledge about Urasenke tea ceremony to the task to restoring the tsukubai at Shoroan. A tsukubai is an arrangement of stones, a water basin and a lantern set in a very precise manner.

First, a survey of the grounds surrounding Shoroan — the tea house built in Lili`uokalani Gardens and opened in 1997 — was conducted with all attending a hands-on workshop designed for landscapers, County park maintenance personnel, and Master Gardeners.

Next, the tsukubai area was studied in detail. It was discovered that the basin was set too low. The drain rocks were compacted and did not drain. The bamboo spout was too high. The plumbing was in need of repair. Surrounding bushes were in need of pruning. The lantern’s fire box faces the wrong direction. Most of these challenges were solved with several hours work by Hilo and Waimea landscapers under the direction of Mr. Yamada.

David Tamura and his son Troy and Robert Frost re-set a stone at Takuhiro Yamada’s direction

The basin was lifted, shifted, and leveled

Clara Koga, sensei, Takuhiro Yamada, Russ Oda and Amy Nishiura test the finished stone arrangement

Plumbing repairs were completed by the County a few days later. Drainage was improved with the addition of smooth river rocks courtesy of Clayton Amemiya matching a few river rocks that were uncovered during excavation of the basin.

Comments to these articles are welcome, but please do not waste your time trying to post spam. All comments are reviewed before they are published. Be nice.

Photos otherwise uncredited are by K.T. Cannon-Eger. If you choose to share this blog, please give credit.

Mahalo and arigato

Categories: Hawaii, Hilo | Tags: David Tamura, Liliuokalani Gardens, Shoroan, Takuhiro Yamada, tea garden, teahouse, Urasenke tea ceremony | Leave a comment

Sukiya Living magazine ranks Japan and North America gardens

Posted on January 15, 2016 by usjapanesegardens

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

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 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: Adachi Museum, Nitobe Memorial, Seattle Japanese Garden, Shiosai ranking, Shofuso, Sukiya Living magazine | 4 Comments

Private gardens add to general knowledge

Posted on January 12, 2016 by usjapanesegardens

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 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

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.

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

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

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

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: Japanese garden, lantern | 2 Comments

Visiting landscaper helps with Hilo garden

Posted on October 6, 2015 by usjapanesegardens

Mr. Takuhiro Yamada, president of Hanatoyo Landscape of Kyoto, will speak on tea gardens at the Hawaii Japanese Center, 751 Kanoelehua Avenue, Thursday, October 8, at 5:30 p.m. The presentation is free. Light refreshments will be served.

The presentation, “Tea Gardens — Observe the Tradition” is sponsored by Friends of Lili’uokalani Gardens, Urasenke Hilo, and the Hawaii Japanese Center.

Mr. Yamada is the president of Hanatoyo Landscape, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in business six years ago. Mr. Yamada is the fifth generation in his family to head the company. Their clients in Japan include many cultural treasures. He has designed and installed gardens in Paris, London, and Honolulu. In the mainland United States, Yamada was the designer of the new tea house garden at The Huntington Japanese garden on the occasion of the Pasadena garden’s centennial in 2012.

He continues his father’s dedication to passing on traditional skills. At the same time he is leading the company into the future with green industry techniques in rooftop gardens and green waste recycling, and the company is ISO14001 certified. Like his father before him, he is qualified as a tree doctor and is a pioneer of new tree treatments in Japan.

Takuhiro Yamada visited Lili`uokalani Gardens around Thanksgiving 2014

For further information on the tea garden talk, contact the Hawaii Japanese Center at 751 Kanoelehua Avenue in Hilo, 934-9611 or Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens at 895-8130.

On Friday, October 9, Yamada will teach a hands-on workshop in the garden surrounding Shoro-an, the Urasenke tea house in Lili`uokalani Gardens. The workshop is designed for County park maintenance personnel, local landscapers, and members of the East Hawaii Master Gardener Association.

Categories: Hawaii, Hilo | Tags: Hanatoyo Landscape, Takuhiro Yamada, tea garden, Urasenke tea ceremony | Leave a comment

Regional conferences aid landscape education

Posted on September 26, 2015 by usjapanesegardens

The North American Japanese Garden Association will hold two regional conferences in October 2015.

Fostering Mature Cultural Landscapes: The Japanese Gardens in New York will be held Thursday and Friday, October 1 and 2, featuring The Pocantico Center and the Japanese Garden at Kykuit, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, United Nations Peace Bell Garden, Innisfree Garden, and Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden. The opportunity to visit the Peace Bell garden is extraordinary as this garden is not normally open to the public.

Members of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) may earn continuing education credits for participation in the conference and garden tours.

For further information, please look at the NAJGA web site: http://www.najga.org/New-York-2015

Sadafumi Uchiyama is one of the specialists teaching proper techniques in the pruning workshops.

Branching out in the South: Pruning Small Trees and Shrubs in the Japanese Tradition is a two-day, intense, hands-on workshop scheduled for Thursday and Friday, October 22 and 23, at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Culbetson Asiatic Arboretum in Durham, North Carolina.

There are several special features of this gathering including a farm to fork dinner and a tour of a private residential garden.

Continuing education credits (CEUs) for the lectures and workshops have been granted by the Southern Chapter of the International Society of Arborists (ISA), Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) and the North Carolina Landscape Contractors’ Licensing Board (NCLCLB).

For additional information, please refer to the NAJGA web site: http://www.najga.org/NORTH-CAROLINA-2015

There are more than 250 Japanese gardens in Canada and the United States. These gardens are havens of beauty and tranquility, cultural and historic landscapes and places for natural healing. Since 2011, the North American Japanese Garden Association (NAJGA) has been promoting the welfare of these gardens and the people who love and care for them through education and advocacy.

A biennial conference is in the planning stage for March 7 and 8 at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Florida. The conference theme is Towards a Healthier World: Japanese Gardens as Places for Wellness and Transformation. For information on invitations for presentations, guidelines and theme, please refer to the NAJGA web site.

Categories: New York, North Carolina | Tags: conference, NAJGA, North American Japanese Garden Association, Sadafumi Uchiyama | Leave a comment

Progress on the bamboo thicket

Posted on August 4, 2015 by usjapanesegardens

Abundant gratitude to all who came Saturday, July 18, to help with the overgrown bamboo thicket at Lili`uokalani Gardens. Teams of cutters, pullers, and carriers filled Mountain Meadows large truck to overflowing TWICE during the eight-hour day. The material was diverted from the Hilo dump to be chipped into mulch at Raymond Tanouye’s nursery.

a necessity for the clean-up day — a way to remove material in bulk for processing into mulch

Harvey Tajiri brought a propane powered generator that ran three reciprocating saws all day long. Much gratitude to Craig Shimoda, Kenji Kuroshima, and Cody Osborne for bringing their tools and extra blades.

Cody Osborne

Harvey Tajiri and Kenji Kuroshima

Craig Shimoda

Wally Wong and a team from Rotary Club of Hilo cleaned and cut the long poles into manageable pieces. Many were given to members of the public who stopped by to request material for flutes, flagpoles, and other projects.

Rotary Club of Hilo joined in the all-day bamboo event

Wally Wong, president of Rotary Club of Hilo, hands bamboo up to landscape architect David Tamura

East Hawaii Master Gardeners also participated in the thinning and in the clean-up. Jacqui Marlin and members of the Hawaii Chapter of the American Bamboo Society co-sponsored the “Bamboo Fun int he Garden” event, answered questions about bamboo varieties and ran craft workshops throughout the day.

Jacqui Marlin of the Bamboo Society demonstrated several crafts. Participants were able to take material home to practice further

a small tent provided shade for workers and space for workshops

More remains to be done. With the County Parks & Recreation Department’s permission, two more days have been scheduled to finish thinning the bamboo thicket: Friday and Saturday, August 21 and 22.

If you would like to participate, come to Lili`uokalani Gardens at 8 a.m. on either day. Wear closed toe shoes and bring your own gloves. If you would like some bamboo for your own projects, just ask anyone from Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens to help.

This area of the large thicket exemplifies what remains to be thinned on Friday and Saturday, August 21 and 22

Categories: Hawaii, Hilo | Tags: bamboo, Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens, Liliuokalani Gardens | Leave a comment

Rained out for one work day

Posted on July 17, 2015 by usjapanesegardens

All night rain, along with some thunder and lightening, continues this morning (Friday, July 18)

All night rain, along with some thunder and lightening in the wee hours, continues this morning (Friday, July 18, 5:30 a.m. purple haze at sunrise through the pouring rain. photo by K.T. Cannon-Eger)

In consideration of the weather and everyone’s safety, “Bamboo Fun in the Garden” is cancelled for today, Friday July 17.

We will try again tomorrow, Saturday, July 18.

Sorry for any inconvenience. Safety first.

Categories: Hawaii, Hilo | Tags: bamboo, Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens, Liliuokalani Gardens | Leave a comment

Bamboo Fun in the Garden

Posted on July 16, 2015 by usjapanesegardens

Dwayne Mukai, president of Kumamoto Kenjin Kai, and Rev. Jeffrey Soga, Rimban for Hawaii Island's Hongwanji join in the conversation. (photo by Bill F. Eger)

Dwayne Mukai, president of Kumamoto Kenjin Kai, and Rev. Jeffrey Soga, Rimban for Hawaii Island’s Hongwanji join in the conversation some years ago.

Three years ago, when Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens just got started, a group of volunteers and members of the board met with Ebi Kondo, curator of the Japanese garden at Denver Botanic. Top on the list of things to do was thin the overgrown bamboo thicket.

This week, Friday and Saturday July 17 and 18, we finally have the approvals and equipment needed to accomplish this task AND combine it with an educational element.

Please join in the fun Friday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. The first part of each day will be clearing and thinning and organizing materials. The second part of each day will offer craft workshops on how to make large and small items from bamboo.

The event is free and open to the public. Bamboo Fun in the Garden is co-sponsored by Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens and the Hawaii Island Chapter of the American Bamboo Society with the cooperation of the Department of Parks & Recreation.

Board members were joined by Queen Lili`uokalani Children's Trust Hilo Children's Center director Lance Niimi and East Hawaii Master Gardener Daghild Rick, among others, for a test clearing of the bamboo thicket in June.

Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens board members were joined by Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Trust Hilo Children’s Center director Lance Niimi and East Hawaii Master Gardener Daghild Rick, among others, for a test clearing of the bamboo thicket in June.

Additional participants are expected from East Hawaii Master Gardeners Association, Rotary Clubs, Sierra Club, Fukushima Kenjin Kai, Moku Aina, and the nearby Naniloa Hotel.

Workshop presenters are anticipated to start around 11 a.m.

All participants are reminded to be mindful of safety. Please bring eye and ear protection and wear closed-toe shoes. Shoes need not be boots, but your toes should be covered. If you are going to work with bamboo, please bring gloves.

Materials will be provided to all workshop participants to take home.

Here is an example of a properly thinned bamboo patch with a path through the middle.

For the health of the plant, bamboo should be thinned as in the photo above — loose with air and light coming into the center and a path or two winding through the patch. You can see each individual stalk of bamboo, but still have the effect of a forest.

Meet at the bamboo thicket in Lili`uokalani Gardens for work and play Friday and Saturday, July 17 & 18

Categories: Hawaii, Hilo | Tags: bamboo, East Hawai`i Master Gardeners, Ebi Kondo, Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens | 2 Comments