In preparation for the upcoming 2024 Garden Conservancy Open Days event, I decided to install simple signs within the garden to ensure that visitors stay in designated areas. Actually, it would probably be better to say to keep them out of areas they should not enter.
The Viewing Garden is not supposed to be entered, simply viewed from the driveway or when on the first steps of the stepping stones leading into the Stroll Garden. The field of peastone within is meant to be a metaphor for water, but unfortunately, peastone does not lend itself to raking patterns. Nevertheless, visitors should only view this garden, not enter it.
Once, while visiting the Anderson Gardens in Rockford, Illinois, I had the pleasure of beholding a beautifully raked, patterned garden along side a tea house.
It was obvious that someone had spent a great deal of time creating the pattern with a rake. However, after returning to admire the sight a few moments later, I was horrified to watch a set of parents and their kids walk right through it, ignoring the bamboo barrier, their footsteps destroying the beauty of the pattern.
I will do my best to educate visitors about the Japanese gardens and the appropriate means by which one can enjoy one first hand without spoiling the experience of others. Hence the signage I have chosen, which simply states "Please Do Not Enter."
I acquired these small signs via Etsy at a reasonable price. I then attached them to scrap bamboo poles from previous projects. However, my first attempts were not well thought out - they were functional, but unsightly and overly restrictive.
The two signs in the Zen Garden were meant to keep people from walking down into into the metaphorical "river bed." In both cases, the stone lined steps can be difficult to navigate. Someone my get hurt if they try to enter.
The bamboo poles were also too tall and ruined the view of the Zen Garden from the courtyard/gazebo area.
Although the first designs were a good start, I needed to modify them so that they were unobtrusive, yet still functional. As a result, I removed the bamboo barrier from the Viewing Garden and replaced it with a tall single bamboo pole and sign. Its still visible, and hopefully visitors will follow its advice.
Along the Zen Garden I simply shortened the two tall bamboo poles. Again, still visible and functional.
In each case, the new approaches do not impact the garden viewing experience. They blend in well, are hidden by greenery when viewed from distant vistas, and should still keep people on the right path.
It should be noted that these sign will only be used during publicly accessible days.
