Ancient Guardians

"When one door closes, another one opens..."

I finished the doors for the main entrance to the garden, between the house and garage. 

It took some trial and error, but I eventually was able to hang them in a manner that allows them to close more evenly. To do so, I had to take them down and cut about 1/2  an inch of the width of each door, an easy task since I hadn't glued any of the parts. After hanging them I realized the gap was a bit wider than I had planned. I probably should have only removed 1/4 of an inch instead. Still, its not too bad and there is room for expansion and perhaps some sagging (I hope not too much).

I also finished the staining. I attempted to get the doors to match the Moon Window in the back. The end product looks nice. 

I also added a couple of Chinese Temple Lion Door Knockers to each door. 

I picked these up in Beijing, China in 2007 and had them in a box all this time, never sure what I was going to do with them. They are a bit big for these doors, but I still like them. 

These guardians are meant to protect one from being harmed by accidents, robbery and any other forms of bad luck. The lion head is also a powerful symbol that can provide protection against harmful people, nourishes chi that enters the garden, dissolves bad energy, and brings in happy blessings when fixed to the door of a gate. Lets hope they work.

On the inside, I added a simple latch, similar to an eye hook. I picked it up at Home Depot of all places. 

It looked nice because it has an old world rustic look to it. It doesn't keep the gate 100% stationary, but it looks much nicer than a contemporary, industrial looking latch. It was also relatively inexpensive compared to custom latches I could have special ordered online. Simple, utilitarian, and cheap.

I also attached very small brass eye hooks to the back of each door and the inner rails to help hold the doors in place when open. The view above also shows how I attached the dowels for the "critter catcher" at the bottom of each door.

Overall, I am pleased with the outcome. I only hope they don't sag too much over time.

The Open Door

"The Buddha can bring you to the door,
but you have to walk through it"

I started building two doors for the gate between the house and the garage. I spent most of the winter thinking about the design and how I would build it. I wanted to keep it within a reasonable budget, but more importantly, I wanted to keep it light. Too much weight could be a problem for the posts which are bolted down to cement footings rather than planted deep into the cement. So, I decided to use 1 x 4 cedar boards for the frame work and then 1 x 6 boards for the front face. 

I considered using the same sort of bamboo as the fence, but I wanted it to be solid so people passing by could not look in. 

 

They are looking pretty good so far - I measured and constructed them correctly (perhaps an inch too wide). They sit fine on the posts, but the post on the garage side is not aligned properly with the opposite post, so there is a bit of a disconnect between the doors.

I started staining them with the first coat today. I should be done with the second coat in a day or two. 

 

The non-green sections will go up later and then eventually the smaller details added.

Fifty Shades of Green

Over the weekend I added some new plants, moved others, and salvaged some remnants from last year. I've decided to stick to shade tolerant plants this year. I like that many of the perennials are coming along with little effort on my part. However, the result will be less color in the garden. Instead, I will seek out more variegated assortments of plants - Fifty Shades of Green. I did include some marigold plants that we started indoors from seed a couple of months back, but I am not confident that they will survive the eventual annual onslaught of slugs (although I have yet to see any so far this summer). 

New Plants

Hosta ('Orange Marmalade')

One can't go wrong with Hosta. This zone 3 plant will grow to about 18" and of course loves shade. I chose this plant because I loved the light orange-yellow color to it leaves. It will contrast with the existing green and white versions of Hosta that already populate the garden. 

I planted it along the back of the garage in an area that receives a lot of light, but once the bamboo recovers from its thinning it will be a more shady area.


Ostrich Fern (Matteuccias struthiopteris)

This zone 3-8 fern should grow between 3-5'. As a Rhizomatous spreader it will send off new  growth without being invasive (I should be able to move new growth). 

 

I liked the light green color compared to the more gray versions of Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium nipponicum ‘Metallicum’) elsewhere in the garden. Two were planted along the southern, shady edge along the garden fence.

Brunnera (macrophylla 'Emerald Mist')

This zone 3 perennial will grow to about 12 - 15 " and spout small blue flowers in spring. It likes shade to partial shade. I  planted it along the northern edge of the garden where it will get a bit more morning sunlight.

 

Rock Cress ('Snowfix')

I have had some success and some failures with Rock Cress in the past. One last try this summer. I moved one existing plant and added three new ones.

  nb

It will be a question of how much sunlight they get.


Scotch Moss (Sagina subulata 'Aurea')

The moss I planted last year survived and is making a comeback along the granite steps. 

However, I added three new plants to the area to ensure it fills in completely.

White Nancy Lamium (Lamium maculatum)

I placed a small planting of this zone 3-9 plant near the two Hosta along the south side of the garden near Buddha. It should grow to about 6-8 inches and produce a white bloom (sorry, no picture).


Goldilocks Rocks (Biden ferulifolia)

This annual will grow to about 14" and produce yellow flowers. It will need full sun, so I planted near the garage door, a spot that get alot of sun in the garden.

Moved Plants

I moved a variety of plants in the garden that had been planted in the past. Some were moved to be in more shady area, and others moved to where they could get more light:

White-Variegrated Japanese Forest Grass 

'Lemon Lime' Hosta (small leaf)

Mophead Sedge Grass

Hosta

Irish Diamond Hosta Hosta x 'Allen P. McConnell'.

Ajuga 'Dixie Chip' (Ajuga hybrid)

Stepping Stones

Worked on the garden all day today - the first day without cold wind and rain in many days. I decided to  include new plantings and move some others. In the process, I found myself reworking some of the stones around the plantings, especially near the west end of the garden near Buddha and the circle of hostas. Going in and out between the rock pile next to the garage and the locations within the garden was difficult because there was no formal entry or steps to make it easy. The one set of steps in the center is not always convenient to enter and exit. I therefore decided to create a second set of entry steps near the west end. I had several large rocks I was saving for a different project in the garden, but decided to use them because they were large enough for steps and had nice flat surfaces on one side. 

It wasn't easy moving them into place, but with some effort and caution, I was able to do so without too much of a struggle. They are very stable and make entry and exit much easier than before, when I often slipped and stumbled into this area. They also look nice - more natural than the granite steps in the middle.

Spring - Better Late Than Never

"Its Sping: 
to my heart's content
I gaze at the treetops
shrouded in haze 
and budding."

Its been a long transition to Spring. April was cold and very unspring like. This weekend was the first chance I had to do any cleanup. My big problem this year is what appears to be the death of most of my clumping bamboo (Fargesia rufa). Lots of winter burn on the four plants that border the backyard entrance.

At first I thought it might have to do with the fact that I moved these plants last summer. However, three other plants elsewhere in the garden also suffered a similar fate. 

These three still have some green leaves and I might be able to save them still. Unfortunately, there has been no sign of new shoots - these should have appeared by now. This is not a good sign. Overall, this is a disaster. These plants were a major part of the garden's appearance and being bamboo provided some sense of authenticity. I'm not sure how I will handle the change - more bamboo or perhaps another alternative. Its too bad, these plants were supposed to be ideally suited for the winter environment and the shady nature of my garden.

On a happier note, I purchased a new plant to put where one of my False Cyprus Cumulus (Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Cumulus') once resided near the Yukimi lantern. It is a Gem Boxbood (Buxus hybrid 'Franklins Gem'). 

This plant can do well with only 3 to 6 hours of sunlight, so it might make it in the south side, shady portion of the garden. It is also a compact variety of evergreen that should only grow to about 18" x 18", easily manageable. Its also deer resistant. If it does well, I might consider at least one more for elsewhere in the garden.

In the mean time, I still have to plan for the area behind Buddha - not sure what I will do with that space this summer.

The Snow and Cold

"In the silence of the Japanese garden
the pool is frozen.
With the passing of the years
I have seen its slow circle
through all seasons"

Not much going on this winter in the garden, but we have had a lot more precipitation than last year. As the snow slowly melts the ground should retain some moisture for plant roots. With luck we won't loose plants like last year. In the meantime, here are some shots of the garden with snow and ice:

So Many Plants, So Little Time

Worked on the area directly behind Buddha today - the Hosta I planted there at the start of the spring (acquired from my brother-in-law) seemed to have been eaten by critters. When we dug them up, very little of the roots were left and the leaves were almost completely gone. 

Early Summer

Late Summer

I have had a problem with this area all summer - chipmunks were living directly under the area and seem to have eaten the roots from underneath. I trapped and relocated many of the chipmunks, but still they destroyed the plants. Interestingly, they didn't touch the plants on the outer edge of the back gate that were identical Hosta. Now I have this large empty space in the corner of the garden that needs some plantings. Problem is that the area is heavily shaded by the Burning Bush Tree just opposite the fence. So, I need to consider a plant that likes shade that won't be eaten by chipmunks. I am actually considering moving one of the Clumping Bamboo plants for the spot - it would fill in the corner, likes shade, and prove less yummy to chipmunks. In order to do this I would most likely have to move the plant from the spot next to the back door on the garage. It is doing well there and I would hate to do damage it during the move.  I considered buying a new plant, but have had no luck finding the variety I am looking for this late in the spring. I may have to wait until next spring.


I also purchased a new plant, a Raspberry Splash Lungwort (Pulmonaria "Raspberry Splash'):

I have grown fond of Lungworts this year because they do well in shade and slugs seem to dislike them. This zone 5 plant should grow to about 12" and bloom in April-May. I also thought its leaf structure added some variety to the existing fern that was nearby (just right of the Buddha). The white spots on the leaves also help to differentiate it. 

In addition, I decided to replant one of the White-Variegrated Japanese Forest Grass plants just behind the Raspberry Splash Lungwort. This plants was moved at the start of the year because it wasn't getting enough light behind Buddha. I'm not sure how it will do in this new area, but it spent most of the summer in a pot, so I am hoping it will prefer this in-ground setting.

I also reworked the plants next to the back gate - they were becoming too crowded and needed to be spaced out. 

The Clumping Bamboo stayed in place while I moved the Hosta Blue Cadet closer to the box next to the garage door. I also removed and potted the Silvermound /Wormwood in an attempt to save it - it was crowded out this summer and did not get enough light. If it makes it in a pot, I might be able to use it elsewhere next spring. I then moved the White-Variegrated Japanese Forest Grass closer to the walkway to give it more growing space to assume a more rounded natural shape. 

Finally, I transplanted a Japanese Painted Fern that was almost completely covered by the Japanese Maple at the other end of the garden to the area just at the edge of the gate post. It might need some thinning out next year, but the spot looks much nicer and should do well for the rest of this year.

I also transplanted another Japanese Painted Fern to the space just next to the S-Shaped bench. 

This spot is very shady, so the fern should do well there and potentially grow larger since it is no longer crowded out they way it was in its original spot next to the back garage door box.

I had a Hens & Chicks in a small pot most of the summer that I decided to plant in-ground. 

 

It had done well in the pot, and as a result, I was able to split it into three separate plants. I moved an existing Five Star Dianthus from the top level of the north slope of the garden near the granite steps to make room for two of the Hens & Chicks. The third was planted in the space were I had planted the Bitterroot last week. The Bitteroot is now potted in an attempt to save it after it was damaged by a critter. The Five Star Dianthus was moved to where I had planted the Bellflower 'White Clips' Campanula - it too was potted to save it from hungry slugs who like its flowers.

You will also note that I added some small solar powered garden lights - they were only $2.50 each, nice and small, and not too bright. I'm giving them a try before I consider installing an electrical system in the future. There are currently ten spread out in the garden in various locations.