Through the Doors

After a week-long heat wave, followed by two days of rain, I finally finished the Woodland Gate doors.

Initially, I had placed too many bamboo poles on the first door, so I removed half so as to better reflect the Sukiya style I was trying to achieve. 

Here is the look I was aiming for:

There are 9 total poles on each door, and they look great. I struggled with the color scheme - originally I intended to stain the door frames green, but then switched to the natural color. In time it will fade, better matching the bamboo.

I still need to stain the bamboo with a clear coat to protect it from the weather, but it hasn't arrived yet. I did add a latch to the gate to keep it from opening. This was the most rustic latch I could find.

I will probably place a tome ishi (stop stone), also known as a sekimori ishi (boundary-guard stone), in front of the doors. It is a device used in Japanese gardens to guide visitors along a prescribed route or prevent them from entering.

a tome ishi (stop stone) I saw at the Chicago Botanic Garden

I am very satisfied with the final outcome of the gate. In a couple of years the shrubs on either side will fill in and it will look terrific.

I still need to create a sign for the gate. As of now, I have to get back to finishing the fence and other summer garden projects. The garden will never be finished.

Beyond the Gate

After much procrastination, I finally got around to building the frame for the Woodland Gate doors. 

My inspirations for this style was the gate of the Seigen-in restaurant entrance at the Ryoan-ji Temple in Kyoto. 

I snapped this photo back in 2015 when visiting the temple. It was early in the morning - I was literally the first person, and for a several hours the only person, visiting the temple. The restaurant wasn't open by the time I decided to move on. Nevertheless, I was able to take a peek through this gate. Later, when I started planning gates, this gate kept coming to mind. Hence, my finished gate doors will be very similar.

I kept the doors simple, trying to adhere to the Sukiya style, by using small strips of 2" cedar boards with a slightly larger 3" board across the center. The frame is held together with cap nuts and connecting bolts. I was concerned that 1" screws alone would not hold the weight long term, even with glue. These caps and nuts are easier to work with and look a bit nicer than regular screw heads.

I also used a lap joint for each cross rail on the back side. This should help prevent any sagging. However, I only went in half the depth with each joint. This will allow the 3/4 bamboo poles I attach to look as if they are flush with the front sides. Unfortunately, upon opening the bamboo I ordered two months ago, I discovered that it was incorrect. So, I had to send it back and reorder from a different source. I am hopeful the new poles will arrive within a week. I also added a hinge at each cross rail section. I know its a bit overkill, but it will help keep each door attached to the posts long term.

In the meantime, I am more than halfway finished and it looks good so far.

Finally, I seemed to receive approval from a cat (not mine) who appeared in the wood lot beyond the gate. If you look close, you can see it - third panel down on the right.

Thanks kitty!

Try, and Try again...

Back in 2015 I had planted two Japanese Sedge Grass (Carex 'Silver Scepter') plants on either side of the central gate. I have had to change these plants several times. Sometimes they just would not survive the winter. This spring, they did not return, so I purchases two new plants: Forest Grass (Hakonechloa  macra "All Gold'). 

 

I really like the bright "gold" color. Stands out from the dark color of the nearby Japanese Painted Ferns.

They like partial to full shade, so I am hoping they will do o.k. in this location. There is not any direct sunlight. The ferns here have been doing great. These two grass plants should only get to about 8-12" in height and width, so they have some room to grow without blocking the entrance way.

Rearrangements

I needed to make some changes in the Dragon Spine bed. Overall, most plants did well, but there was one major problem with the Mt. Fire Japanese Andromeda (Pieris japonica 'Mt. Fire'). For some reason, about 50% of it just died over the winter. As a result, it left a strange gap in the plant. So, I decided to remove it. I've put it in a bucket to see if I can save it over time.

In its place, I planted a Birch Leaf Spirea (Spiraea betulifolia 'Tor Gold'). I have had a lot of luck with Spirea and deer keeping their distance. This may help, especially if I move and relocate the two Azaleas (thinking about doing so in the fall). The plant will flower with white blooms, a color combo I was trying to use with some of the other plants to offset the dark red of the dwarf maple. It will eventually get up to 4' wide and tall, so I may need to relocate other nearby plants as time goes by.

I also planted a Mini Sunglo Spirea (Spiraea x bumalda 'Mini Sunglo') next to the large stone. In front of the stone, I place three left over remnants form elsewhere in the garden (left to right: Sugar & Spice Foamflower (Tiarella 'Sugar & Spice'), Sedum 'Autumn Fire', and Bottle Rocket' Ligularia). 

I have long term plans to add a Tsukubai (bamboo water fountain with a stone basin) in this location, so these plants will only reside here temporarily and be transplanted later when I decide to move forward on the Tsukubai (the cost is prohibitive right now)

Overall, the Dragon's spine is looking good. It needs time to fill in and see what thrives and what does not.

In the meantime, I have a lot of  leftovers and remnants piling up. Problem is, I have no more places to put them or locations where they would be appropriate. For now, I will nurture them in buckets and think of ways to use them or give them to friends.

Trouble in Paradise

I've been slow to get started on garden projects this summer. In the meantime, the open area of the woodlot has filled in with lots of yummy treats for dear. 

As long as it keeps them aways from my plants on the Dragon Spine bed, then I am happy.

Blooming Flowers

This year the blooms on many of the plants have been the best they ever have been. I'm not sure why. The lilies everywhere are really full and numerous. 

 

Even the Spirea all throughout the yard and garden are producing wonderful color.

Check out how much the Spiraea japonica 'Alpina' (Japanese Spirea - aka 'Nana') has changed in size and color since it was first planted in 2013:

2013

2018

New Additions

The first new additions for this summer were added to the Zen garden. I started with a Heuchera "Autumn Leaves' Coral Bell. I placed it where the Sugar & Spice Foamflower (Tiarella 'Sugar & Spice') had been planted back in 2014. For some reason only a small portion of the plant grew back this year, so I potted what was left and decided to add the Corel Bell in its place. I really like the red color and am hoping it will do well here. If I can keep the slugs away, it could prove to be a nice addition.

I've decided to take a chance an add a small Korean Boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. koreana) (top middle of photo below) to the spot along the walkway where a long term Beatlemania Mophead Grass at resided for many years. Unfortunately, the grass had been almost completely replaced by a thick layer of moss. I extracted the moss and moved it to the small bed that had been covered over by the Japanese maple. The Box wood could be a problem in the future if it grows too fast and too large. If it does, I'll move it elsewhere.

Below the maple I added some mixed Sedum to the lower bed. Originally, I had planted Bugleweed back in 2014. It did well over the years, but this last winter it simply didn't come back - not sure why. I thought I would try the sedum instead. I have had some luck with it on the opposite side of the garden in the top bed.

I also added a Summer Pink False SunFlower (Heliopsis 'SummerPink') (top left of photo below). This plant likes partial shade, but prefers full sun. I liked the yellow flowers it produced. Unfortunately, I don't think its going to make it. The slugs are attracted to it like a magnet. They have been doing a good job devouring the plant. I may need to move it to a safer location. 

I also cut back the large White-Variegrated Japanese Forest Grass that was near the small steps. It had become so large that you could no longer see the entry way into the steps. By splitting it in half, I was able to move two smaller pieces to other locations, one along the fence line behind the Yukimi lantern. 

The other ended up near the garden bell see-through fence.

I also added a Golden Barberry (Berveris thunbergii "Aurea') along the fence line. I liked the yellow foliage and am hoping it adds some contrast to the many shades of green in the garden. A bit difficult to work with, no creatures should be eating this plant. It will also only get to about 3-4' in height, a nice size for this space in the garden.

Rotten to the Core

This season is turning into a series of problems, one after another. Hoping to quickly replace the bamboo in the fencing, I embarked on prepping the fence. First I removed all the bamboo. Then, I readjusted the bottom rails to accommodate the 3 foot high bamboo panels. At least two rails have to be replaced due to rot.

Near the end, past the moon window, I encountered a more serious problem. The last two posts are rotten where they meet the soil.

I didn't think this would occur so fast. These two posts are some of the most recent. I suspect they were not truly red-cedar.

Having to replace them will require that I completely dismantle the last two fence panels.

Getting it all back into place is going to take some effort. This was most definitely not part of my plans for this summer.

I still have to clean the remaining fence posts and rails so that I can re-stain before placing the new bamboo within. This fence repair is going to have to wait until I'm done with school work - its simply going to take a great deal of time and I don't want to start until I can work through and finish within a week.

In the meantime, the garden looks odd with most of the fencing missing. Too bad, the plants are looking very nice so far this year.

Imminent Collapse

Started to set up the gazebo today. I had been putting it off all spring because I was concerned it was in poor shape. As I suspected, the structure was no longer sound. Years of rust from leaving it up all winter finally took its toll on the roof supports. As I attempted to reinstall the cloth roof, it became apparent that the supports were no longer safe.

The gazebo has been here since before that garden was complete. It even suffered a blow-over during a violent storm. Finally, two years ago I made the mistake of leaving the roof on too long into the snow season. The supports were severely bent, and I bent them back, but it was only a matter of time before they collapsed.

Now that it is down and being recycled, there is a vast expanse of space in the garden.

I looked into having a timber beam structure built, but the coast was starting at $4,500 and quickly rising. Too much for me right now. Instead, I opted to replace the gazebo with another metal structure, one that has a solid roof. Its a bit risky in the northeast, but I can just use my snow rake to remove snow if it gets to heavy (I hope). The replacement I purchased is the Palram Palermo 3000 10 x 10 gazebo.

I got a good sale price on it and was able to acquire it for less than $1,000. It should be here in a week or so. I will need to decide on how to secure it, especially with a solid roof. I might have to install some cement footings ( no easy task). I will wait until it arrives and I complete the initial set up before I decide.

Bamboo Switcheroo

The winter storm 
Hid in the bamboo grove 
And quieted away. 
- Basho

As usual, finding time to work in the garden hasn't been easy. Updating the vegetable garden fencing and water system has taken up all my free time these last two weeks. Today was the first chance I had to practice with a fence panel replacement in the Zen Garden.

Over the winter, the fence started to take a beating. 

I'm replacing the split bamboo with 3/4 diameter bamboo pole panels. They will be more sturdy and should last longer than the split bamboo which was held together by thin wire that has rusted over the years. The split bamboo also had a tendency to bow. It lasted over seven years, but its time for it to go (see the right side of the image below).

The new bamboo poles are solid and held together with two wires that could easily be replaced in the future. 

The test panel looks good. It was easy to come up with a quick routine for changing each panel. I will have to wait a week or more for the rest of the panels to get here.

My plan is to remove all the bamboo panels and raise up the bottom rail about 3.5 inches to accommodate the 3 ft. height of the new panels. It will result in a larger gap at the bottom, but that will make it easier to blow leaves underneath in the fall (see image above). I will then re-stain the fence before putting in the bamboo panels. 

Its been almost 8 years, and the fence needs a new staining - its starting to fade. I built the fence so that I can easily accommodate the new panels. The major task is raising the bottom rail. After the new panels are in, I will coat the bamboo poles with a protective stain. 

Completing the entire fence is going to take some time. I will work on it when I can. I am hoping that I will be finished by mid July - the height of the garden's bloom.