Beware the Shrubs

Over the last couple of days, I have been working to trim all the shrubs in the garden and on the property. I usually start this process at the start of July, but other projects and weather have delayed my start. Once I began, I started to realize that each year this task gets more difficult and time consuming. The shrubs continue to grow, and I have continued to buy and add more shrubs. Hence, the increasing workload.

Currently, there are a total of 70 shrubs, large and small, scattered throughout the garden and property. That does not include any of the other plantings. So, as you can imagine, its becoming a a full time job. Thank goodness as a public school teacher I have the time in the summer to tend to the work. 

Below are some examples of the work that I have finished over the last coupe of days following two eight hour work days.

Japanese Yew

Rheingold Arborvitea (Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’)

Snowmound Spiraea (Spiraea nipponica 'Snowmound') - above rock;
Mini Sunglo Spirea (Spiraea x bumalda 'Mini Sunglo') - right of rock;
Rheingold Arborvitea (Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’) - right
of Dwarf White Pine tree

Green Velvet Boxwood (Buxus 'Green Velvet')

'Europa Gold' arborvitae (thuja occidentalis)

'Europa Gold' arborvitae (thuja occidentalis);

The Japanese Boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. Japonica)

Green Velvet Boxwood (Buxus 'Green Velvet')

Be careful with the Spirea. Make sure you trim them at the appropriate time so as not to impact blooms. I usually prune them in early spring before they flower, but only slightly. After the flowers have died off, I prune once more in mid-summer to keep them from becoming stringy and keep their shape. Also, every couple of years I cut out the dead wood inside, which can be time consuming process. Doing so will improve the plant growth next year, but he benefit of waiting is that the dead material also helps to maintain its shape.

Spirea japonica

Spirea japonica

Spiraea japonica 'Alpina' (Japanese Spirea - aka 'Nana')

Rheingold Arborvitea (Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’) - center;

Spirea japonica - left/right

Spirea japonica

Mr. Bolwing Ball Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Bobozam')

Keep in mind, the 21 shrubs above are less than half of what I have to deal with in the garden and on the property. Before you start your own garden adventure, remember, these plants will need maintenance and care, both of which requires a lot of time to manage.

Before - After

I searched for and found some pictures from 2010, a couple years after the garage was built and the Zen Garden was still in its infancy. At that time I never had any intention of expanding the garden along the east side of the garage. I simply laid a lot of pea stone and planned to use it as an extension of the driveway to park a popup camper we owned at that time. Once I sold the camper after 2012, I slowly started to plant the area and eventually it became two separate gardens - the East Gate Stroll Garden and the Viewing Garden. 

Here are the before and after images:

Before, 2010

After, 2021

Before, 2010

After, 2021

It's crazy to see the transformation. I would like to say I am done with this area, but one just never knows.

Pine Mud Pruning

Now that the fence is compete, I needed to take some time to trim the Pine tree in the central spot of the viewing garden. I have not trimmed it at all since I installed it back in 2019. 

I wanted the roots to have time to get established before I made any changes. Since that time, it has grown substantially and filled in. 

After watching the following video on YouTube about pruning Pine trees, I decided to give it a try.

I found the video instructive but I was concerned about cutting too much off. Additionally, I was concerned about the hight. The top had grown significantly higher than I would have liked. It was risky, but I just lopped off the top. That might have been a mistake, but now only time will tell. In the meantime, it looks much better thinned out with the trunk and branches visible once again.

 

Even from a distance it is much improved, even from the driveway.

The Six Fold Path.

Let's start by stating that I am not a Buddhist. I do, however, appreciate much of what Buddhism has to offer. The Noble Eight Fold path is of course the basis of Buddhist teachings:

However, being raised in materialistic/capitalistic America, I have always struggled to follow that path. Of course the goal is to recognize that life is suffering and pursue enlightenment to release oneself from the illusions of life to help end suffering.

Well, my suffering was caused by having to look at my neighbor's ugly white plastic fence and his consistently unkept yard. 

He never cleaned his fence, cut his grass, or did any weeding or yard work. The best I could hope for was that he would cut his grass once a year. 

Now, admittedly, I am obsessed with yard work. I know my efforts will never be permanent and its all just an illusion that will revert back to nature once I am no longer around to manage the appearance of my perception of beauty. Nevertheless, I do so love weeding, planting, and general yard and garden work. It is like meditation to me. I can do it all day without complaint. However, I just could not free myself from the struggle to ignore the ugliness of the neighbor's property. It ate at my soul and was preventing me from attaining even a false sense of enlightenment.

So, unable to adhere to most of the tenants of the Noble Eight Fold Path, I instead pursued my own Selfish Six Fold Path:

1. build a fence
2. have six 8' panels
3. fill the panels with solid cedar boards
4. hide the view of the ugly plastic fence
5. add new plants to beautify the viewing and stroll gardens
6. end my suffering and enjoy the new view

Admittedly, not an ideal path towards the Buddhist concept of enlightenment, but I have to follow my own path. My suffering has been greatly diminished, and I am much pleased with the new fence. Yes, I have allowed pride to drive me towards a path that seems contradictory to the Noble Eight Fold Path. Honestly, I don't care. I'm happy, the garden is happy, and my Selfish Six Fold Path has helped me move further along my own journey towards enlightenment.

May these views of the fence and garden bring you as much happiness as the new view of the garden fills my heart with joy:

Know the Enemy and Know Yourself

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

So I looked out my window this afternoon and beheld my enemy - Rabbit! 

At first I thought, "oh, it's just eating clover in my lawn, that actually is helpful." 

However, once he saw me, rather than run, he slowly crept closer to the Dragon Spine area where he brazenly proceeded to start munching on the low lying Hosta flowers which have been low laying as a result of all the rain. 

I admit, he was cute, but rabbits tend to devastate my Hosta, especially in the early spring. However, I am willing to find balance between our existence. As long as he continues to eat my clover, I can afford a couple of flowers from time to time. However, the minute that balance is disrupted, Rabbit will succumb to my very large animal cage and the displeasure of forced relocation.

Hosta and Daylillies

Now that mid July is upon us, the Hosta are stating to bloom, adding a new color scheme to the East Gate Stroll Garden, Central Gate entryway, and the Zen Garden. 

Combined with the bright orange of the Daylillies in the Dragon Spine and the Woodland Gate areas, it all makes for a wonderful contrast.

The entire garden is benefitting from all the rain we have been getting these last couple of weeks. 

In fact, the Cyprus near the inside of East Gate is doing a bit too well. 

I will need to thin it out once more this summer. I want it be healthy, but I do not want it to fill in and loose its interest.

Overall, the summer is going well and the garden is continuing to look good as we hit the peak time of the summer and the garden's most beautiful time.

A Bugs Life

"If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos."

E. O. Wilson

Throughout the summer I have been paying more attention the the insect life within the garden. With the exception of slugs, most of the insects live in a symbiotic way within the garden. 

I have come to recognize them as an integral part of the garden and will do all I can to encourage their presence by refusing to use pesticides. Even the slugs, whom I hate, will have a chance, as long as my chopsticks don't find them first (note: I have found that picking slugs out with chopsticks is the best means of removing slugs, but it does require consistent effort).

July a Bloom

The garden has been doing well as we enter July. There has been lots of rain and a new round of blooms have been starting to emerge.

I have also been working on the development of a small flower garden just beneath the garden bell along the see through fence. 

It has been hit or miss due to slugs. They seem to eat any flowering plants I place here. 

I'm trying to keep up, and have had to replace a coupe plants so far. I like the look, but the slugs make it difficult to maintain anything colorful for more than a few days.