The Colors of Autumn Descend

Anther year is passing, and autumn once again brings great color to Songni Yuan. This year is a bit different than past years due to the fact that many plants have declined to pass along. Perhaps a result of climate change, but usually I have cut back most plants by now. Nevertheless, even during seasonable decline, the beauty of the garden continues to fill my heart with joy.

The Shed Reborn

The garden shed, which has always been part of my wife's vegetable garden, was on the property when we purchased the house back in 1999. It was moved to its current location around 2007 and a new roof and sofits installed around 2016. Throughout all this time it had only been painted once, so it was clear that it was in need of some repairs.

The major need was the foot of the walls. The thin wallboard had deteriorated in places due to rot and small critters chewing their way in. The first repair consisted of cutting 8 inches of rot off the bottom on all sides and installing PVC replacements and a Z channel. I also recognized the need to seal up cracks and repaint.

Initially, those were my only plans. However, as I began to work, I realized that I had an opportunity to transform this old shed so that it fit in better with the Japanese garden esthetic elsewhere on the property. 

Searching the internet for ideas, I came across the following image:

Beautiful and inspiring, the image provided me with some ideas. Wanting to keep costs to a minimum, I opted to make subtle changes to my shed rather than a complete redo - a traditional Japanese shed/teahouse with cedar posts and plastered walls was not financially possible. Instead, I had to retain my existing structure and make repairs.

Looking back at that image, I decided that I could add faux trim and windows. There had been no trim on my shed in the past, so adding some would enhance the appearance of the shed. The green and almond trim color would have to remain the same because the house and garage are painted in that manner. 

I also had to remove most of the plantings near the shed, including a large boxwood that was transplanted elsewhere. It had grown too large and was starting to take over the corner of the shed.  

 

The back of the shed required a lot of cleanup, especially the many plants I usually store there over the summer. 

I opted to remove the old metal shelving as well as the old brick along the bottom. The bricks were replaced with peastone.

 

As an experiment, I used some "cedar" colored paint for the top trim, but as soon as I started I realized it was a bad idea.

Sanding it off, I quickly reverted back to the original almond instead.

The trim pieces I added were meant to suggest post and beam construction. I even added protruding blocks in some places to create the illusion of post extensions.

In addition, I added two hexagonal umebachi gegyo with concave curves at the top of the ridge on either side of the shed. A gegyo is a decorative design used to cover the ends of a roof gable. I don't have a gable, but the gegyo still looks nice as a flush feature.

My shed was too simplistic for the more elaborate styles of gegyo, but more importantly, the umebachi gegyo style was one I could easily cut with a jigsaw. I then added two cedar stained flowerettes to each gegyo to add some interest. I have the flowerettes elsewhere in the garden (Peace Bell, Woodland Gate).

I also altered the top of the shed doors to look like traditional Japanese window screens.

Instead of rice paper or glass, I used white plastic acrylic cracked ice ceiling light panels. They look pretty good and require no maintenance. I then made some window frames out of scrap wood to create 12 window panes and attached the pieces to each door.

The large window in the front of the shed was a bit of a challenge to modify. It was too large and very un-Japanese in appearance.  

I liked the pop-out window I saw in the internet image I referenced earlier in this post. 

However, I chose to modify the design so that it would be less of a pop-out box and more of a pop-out screen. 

On the front I chose to use one-inch bamboo poles, similar to the bamboo on the nearby Woodland Gate. The bamboo adds interest and the color of the bamboo will eventually match the bamboo on the Woodland Gate. 

This should help to tie-in the shed with the Dragon's Spine fence and the Woodland Gate. I also added a brown roof above the pop-out screen to match the internet image pop-out style. Overall, the screen does a good job of hiding the old window, while simultaneously giving the shed more of a Japanese feel.

The final addition to the shed was a faux round window, or maramado, similar to the one I created last year for the back deck. The shed maramado was painted almond and has an interior with the same plastic cracked ice panel as the shed doors. 

Instead of bamboo for slats, I opted for pieces of wood painted with the same brown I used for the "pop-out" window roof. I realize these color selections may not be very authentic, but they work best with the existing shed color combinations.

I will be adding an almond colored gutter and rain chain with lotus petals as soon as I can have it installed.

Although this project took almost seven weeks to complete (I worked on it off-and-on due to travel, illness, and weather), it was well worth the effort. The shed looks much nicer than before, and the repairs and painting will ensure it lasts for a very long time. 

I know it is not a true Japanese shed/teahouse, but I think it still makes a nice transition from the Zen garden into the vegetable garden area. Additionally, the colors match the style of the house and garage structures ensuring that all three structures on the property compliment each other.

Next spring I will work further on landscaping around the shed. I will also renovate the interior. Sorry, no Japanese designs, it will be a simple garden tool shed, just cleaner and better organized than it has ever been.

Contentment

If you would like to follow this project from start to finish, please note that the project had multiple phases that were discussed in earlier postings.

After acquiring a Tsukubai water basin from Rob Koschnick at Oriental Garden Supply in Pittsford, NY, digging the electrical trench, and installing a water reservoir, I was able to install a copper "bamboo" water spout which will supply water to the Tsukubia via a pump within the reservoir.

My experience with bamboo gates and fences has taught me that bamboo poles, although authentic and beautiful, do not hold up well to outdoor weather. I have had to replace bamboo after only 2-3 years due to fading and cracking resulting from outdoor exposure. As a result, I wanted something that maintained the esthetic look of bamboo, but would be made of a more durable and long-lasting material. 

Fortunately, I was able to locate just such a product - the  Kakehi Water Spout from the Pacific Stonescape Company in Corvallis, Oregon. Their website offers a vast collection of Japanese related items, many of which are impossible to find locally in my northeast region. 

After inquiring about the copper Kakehi Water Spout, I was fortunate enough to receive advice from the President of the company, Steve Dix, on how to proceed with the building of my Tsukubai water feature. Without his advice, I would have struggled to ensure I was doing the install correctly - much thanks!

Installing the spout proved easier than I had anticipated. A hose from the pump easily attached to the spout, and the spout had a base that allowed me to secure it into the ground with long metal stakes. It is resting stable, but I can also easily remove the spout as needed when future garden maintenance may arise. 

Adjusting the height and distance is important. You want to make sure that the arc of the water will land in the central square of the reservoir and water basin.

Once the spout was installed, I could easily test and adjust the flow of the water. A flow control valve that came with the spout, and attached to the pump, made that process exceedingly easy.

I really like the look of the copper spout and look forward to when it patinas over time. 

It simulates the look of bamboo, but also adds its own unique aesthetic to the overall water feature.

It was now time to place the 250 lb. granite water basin. Initially, I thought the Aquascape AquaBasin 30, a 30 x 30 x 16" reservoir  might have been overkill, but it is engineered to hold 500 lbs and was definitely sturdy enough to hold the basin and the crushed granite stones I used as a top cover.

I also added a geo-mesh atop the reservoir to prevent debris from entering the reservoir tank. Locating real geo-mesh in a small size proved difficult. It only comes in large, expensive roles. So, instead, I opted to use a heavy duty pet-resistant window screen material that I acquired at the local hardware store. 

The much smaller role, and affordable price, made it a good alternative. The screen holes are small, but will allow water to pass through while keeping debris out. Each spring I will be able to move the crushed granite and clean the screen. It should be noted that I did not lay a full sheet. Instead, I cut a reservoir sized square with a basin sized circle so that the screen can be lifted out and cleaned without having to move the granite basin.

It should also be noted that even my best effort at leveling the reservoir needed some adjustment. Unable to move the reservoir, I instead opted for plastic shims that would allow me to make micro adjustments to the basin, ensuring that water more evenly spread across the surface of the basin and drain more evenly into the reservoir.

Once the basin and crushed granite were in place, I made some adjustments to the nearby plantings surrounding the Tsukubia area. In time the plants will grow and and should fill in any gaps.

The last hardscape feature I wanted to add was a stepping stone in front of the basin. The original Tsukubai at Ryōan-ji, in Kyoto, Japan has several stepping stones that are used as an approach to the basin and from which to crouch (the word Tsukubia literally means "to crouch”). 

I did not have any flat stepping stones available, and faux stepping stones looked too much like cement. So, I headed north to the Adirondack Natural Stone Company in Whitehall, NY to search for just the right stone. This stone yard is a vast area of granite, mostly expensive stones that are well out of my possibility to acquire. However, they have an enormous amount of waste and fragments which they were kind enough to let me explore. 

Locating a Hawthorne granite stone that would compliment my crushed granite, larger border stones, and the water basin proved challenging, but after several hours I located a stone that I thought was perfect. It was small enough for me to pick up, needed no sculpting, and was not so large that it would detract from the basin. 

It's color and striations were exactly what I was looking for, and I acquired it for $11! 

I decided to install it a bit off center, and across the lawn edging so that it resided in both the Tsukubia area and the lawn, giving it a more natural appearance.

With the installation of the stepping stone, I was finished. 

I did my best to pay homage to the original mid 1600s Tsukubia at the at Ryōan-ji temple, in Kyoto and I think I came pretty close.

Tsukubia at Ryōan-ji

Tsukubia at Songni Yuan

I even added a Hishaku, or tradition Japanese water ladle, to sit nearby the Tsukubia for ritual washing (note - this is mostly for aesthetics, I would not drink the water from this fountain since I am treating it with anti-mosquito larvae chemicals)

The completed Tsukubia looks and sounds beautiful. 

Now when I enter the Zen garden I can formally take time to ritually cleanse myself.

I have planned this project for years and seeing it complete is a dream come true - much thanks to all who helped make it a possibility.

Digging a Well

Today I dug a pit for a water reservoir that will supply the the planned water feature. 

I was concerned about the location due to the size of the reservoir and the close proximity over a very large stone that has resided in this location since pre-2009. The reservoir is an Aquascape AquaBasin 30, a 30 x 30 x 16" reservoir.

I was fortunate because the reservoir fit exactly into the hole that I dug, not an inch to spare. If I had to move that stone, it would have been a challenge. At least 20% of the stone sits below the surface - it is large and heavy.

This reservoir is very sturdy and will hold 500 lbs and 27 gallons of water for the finished water feature. 

I also like that the corner has a removable door that will allow easy access to the pump and water chamber. At $300+ it was not inexpensive, but I want to make sure I do this feature correctly.

Once the hole was dug, I filled in the base of the pit with several inches of drainage stone, then laid weed fabric to sit under and around the reservoir.

The next step will be to install the pump and water spout before I place the granite basin and top-cover of stone. I also need to acquire more stones to create the surrounding border.

It will be a few more days before this project is complete and I am still waiting on the arrival of the electrician to install the electricity (note: the lantern shown above, right will be moved elsewhere).