Gate

"Mundane on the outside, sacred on the inside."

Mon
(gate)

What is a Japanese gate? Wikipedia offers us a description:

“Unlike gates of secular buildings, most temple and shrine gates are purely symbolic elements of liminality, as they cannot be completely closed and just mark the transition between the mundane and the sacred. In many cases, for example that of the sanmon, a temple gate has purifying, cleansing properties.”

I liked this description because it embodies exactly what I had in mind when I finished building the fence in the summer of 2010 and knew that I would eventually have to fully enclose the garden - mundane on the outside, sacred on the inside. The problem was what style of gate to use.

The images below were ones I came across on the web that reflected traditional Japanese styles:

The last one above (curved roof) came from a website called Woodshop Creative Builders, a company that sells kits for a variety of Japanese style structures, including gates. Financially, purchasing a custom kit was out of the question (I’m too poor). However, their design was similar to the ones I came across online (see images below).

Although I really liked the roof, my do-it-yourself budget wasn’t going to allow for the expense of such as structure (nor do I think I would have received a permit from the town). Instead, I opted to use the basic frame, but without a roof. As a result, my gate looks more like a an arbor entry way. Again, I was inspired by gate images I came across on the web:

So, here is my basic design for the gate in the back of the garden (far side - not between the house and garage):

It is off center because it’s actually centered on the gravel driveway along side the garage (three feet from the fence line on the right and about five feet from the garage wall on the left (along which a two foot rock bed lays - eventually to be planted with large Hosta).

Here are some images of the early construction and near complete gate:

Almost done - need some more bamboo for the left panel, copper caps for the support posts, flashing for the arbor posts, and some touch up stain.

Unfortunately, between the Moon Window extension and this arbor entry way, I went over my allotted garden budget for the summer. Two gates will eventually be added, but probably not until summer 2012. In the mean time, I will be reading up on how to build gate doors.

Plants 2011 (spring to mid-Summer)

“A garden is a thing of beauty, and a job forever.”

Hosta (Plantain Lilly ‘Hush Puppies’):

This zone 3-8 plant is different than other Hosta in the garden. It grows to only 6” tall and about 12-14” wide. It likes partial shade and will do well in a rock garden Hence I tucked it into a spot that allows for some growth and that will allow the plant to fill in an edge area.

Montana Sandwort (Arenaria montana):

This zone 4 plant likes morning sunlight only. As a low growing evergreen perennial it will form a cushion of dark green foliage to about 4” x 12”. It will bloom spring to summer with star shaped white flowers.

Sea Thrift (Armeria maritima ‘Morning Star White’):

This plant likes full sun and grows to about 6 inches. I planted two on the northern edge of the garden (the sunnier side) in two clumps. However, I moved one to the southern edge in mid-July. I liked the white pom-pom bloom.

Rosa Stolz (Armeria juniperifolia ‘Rosa Stolz’):

This zone 4-8 plant likes full sun and grows to about 6-8 inches. I originally planted on the northern edge of the garden (the sunnier side) near the Sea Thrift (above), but then moved it to the southern edge in mid-July. It has a similar pom-pom bloom, but should be a more purplish color. It will adapt to poor , dry soil, as well as attract butterflies.

Japanese Sedge Grass (Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’):

This zone 5 plant likes partial shade and moist well drained soil. It should grow to about 12 x 18 inches. It should make for some nice variation with the other Japanese grasses currently in the garden.

Happy Returns Daylily (Hemerocallis):

This zone 3 plant likes full sun to part shade. I planted three along the northern, sunnier, edge of the garden near the retaining wall. They are classified as a miniature daylily and grow to about 18 inches. Yellow blooms emerged in July and and should re-bloom.

Campanula Carpatica (Carpathian Harebell ‘Blue Chips’):

This plant likes partial sun to shade. I planted it near the retaining wall, just below the Mioshi post lantern. It contains violet-blue cup-shaped flowers on a mounding plant and should bloom from June to october. It should only grow to about 10 x 12 inches.

Assorted Annuals:

This year I decided to add a variety of annuals to the garden as a means of adding some color. Doing so allows me to experiment a bit and change the garden without drastically altering the nature of the Japanese theme set by the perennials.

Profusion Fure Zinnia

Dreamland Yellow Zinnia.

Note: Did great throughout July and the killed by a

second round of hungry slugs at the start of August.

Dahlia (Harlequin Mix)

Wonderland White/Mix Alyssum. 

Note: the plantings near the Buddha were assaulted by a

second round of hungry slugs at the start of August, partially survived and then completely died by August 19.

Plants that did not survive (mostly due to slugs - summer, 2011 has been a tough season):

Columbine (Aquilegria hybrid ‘Origami Red & White’)

Note: killed by hungry slugs.

Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium boreale ‘San Juan Skies,’ ‘Iceberg Point’)

Note: damaged by hungry slugs moved to pot where it died.

Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum ‘Brise d’Anjou’)

Note: damaged by hungry slugs moved to pot where it died.

Hosta (‘Miss Linda Smith’)

Note: killed by some creature that dug out and ate the rootball.

Dwarf Fan Columbine (Aquilegia flabellata, dwarf Fan Columbine, ‘Cameo Mix’)

Note: damaged by hungry slugs moved to pot where it died.

Salsa Verde Sedium (Sedum makinoi)

Note: killed by a second round of hungry slugs.

Fence Extension and Moon Window

"The thief left it behind - the moon at the window."

The first project for summer 2011 was to extend the garden fence by three panels. The first of the three was designed to incorporate a Moon Window, a traditional element of most Chinese Scholar gardens and also found in Japanese architecture as well. Below are some images of inspirational Moon Gates that I saw while visiting China in 2007.

The first new panel, near the patio/fire pit area, would be the Moon Window. I also thought a Moon Window might incorporate some aspects of feng shui into the garden - as an outlet for negative chi.

Extending the fence design wasn’t difficult, since I had learned much the previous year when I constructed the bulk of the fence. It did take me a while to plan out and build the Moon Window. I simply built the panel with cedar boards, found the center mark and made a circle with string and a pencil. From there, I removed the boards, cut them out with a jig saw, and then reassembled the pieces as a big circle in the garage.

Creating the frame pieces for the Moon Window was a bit tougher. I took the cut-out pieces from the circle I had reassembled in the garage and then placed card-stock paper around the edges and traced out the circle. Using the same center board with pencil and string still attached, I drew another circle 3/4 of an inch larger. I removed the boards, and drew an additional circle 3/4 smaller onto the card-stock. I then cut out the pieces of paper as a template for six pieces. Using the cut-out circle pieces that were now scrap, I was able to trace the template onto the wood and then cut them out with a jig saw. Once sanded, they were attached to the panel boards with clamps, and drilled and screwed into place.

I then had to disassemble the entire panel and bring each piece into the garage where I spent the next couple of days staining each piece with two coats of stain. Once dry, I could then take the pieces back to the panel and reassemble them. Since everything was pre-drilled, it was a relatively easy task that took about 35 min. (you can watch a high-speed video of me building the panel below).

Dancing in the Moonlight

The soundtrack I used for this video was Axi Dancing in the Moonlight performed by the China Broadcast National Orchestra. The Axi (阿细) people are a subgroup of the Yi ethnic group (彝族) in Yunnan province. They are famous for the folk traditions, including music.

The panel looks good, but I do have two regrets: the stain I used looks a bit orange compared to the clear coat with which I covered the bamboo panels. Hopefully, it will fade to a more yellow over time. Also, the circle is not directly centered with the walkway between the house and garage.

Originally, when I laid out the fence, I divided the panels based on 7 ft. sections. If I had chosen 8 ft., the circle would have been centered. At the time, I had no intention of extending the fence past the edge of the garden into the patio area, and 7 ft. sections worked. However, once I made the decision to extend across the patio area, it was important that I maintain continuity with the overall fence design - three 7 ft. panels that match the existing design.

I could have created a 10 ft. panel consisting of four posts, but that would have left me with room for only 1.5 panels past the Moon Window panel up to the edge of the patio area, the end point of the fence that I did not want to pass.

Although the Moon Window would have been centered with the walkway, I did not like the 1/2 panel at the end. So, I decided to live with a slightly off center panel.

Hopefully, the feng shui practitioners out there will forgive my lack of perfect balance.

Once the panel was complete, I then transplanted one of my clumping bamboo plants (Fargesia ‘rufa’) from the edge of the gazebo to just behind the Moon Window.

In time, the bamboo should fill in nicely and perhaps with a couple of potted plants, there will be some more balance and harmony in the garden.