Ring My Bell

After waiting all summer, I finally got around to renovating and re-installing the garden bell. 

2021

The bell had been taken down when the new back porch was being built. Having the post-bell too close to the rain chain would have resulted in two vertical features competing for visual attention. So, it was decided to remove the post-bell.

However, after the porch was completed, and the rain chain installed, I struggled with finding a location within the garden where the bell could be re-installed. There simply was no place to put it. Its location had to make sense and fit in with the overall aesthetic of the garden, while simultaneously having a bell in a location where it might make sense to have a bell worth ringing.

After much thought, I decided to place it in the small island at the corner of the gazebo. 

I was worried that it would compete with the maple. Again, an over crowding issue. However, the maple is growing very slowly and I think I can trim the tree as needed. On the other hand, I would have to move the newly installed rock and plantings to make room for the post.

Having the bell in this location will help break up the harshness of the gazebo post, and being at the entrance of the gazebo might make it a place where one might want to ring a bell - for diner perhaps.

I followed a similar approach to the installation I conducted back in 2015. 

First, I had to replace the old post which had rotted. This time I added a post protector at the base. 

I also replaced the bell roofing with a PVC underlay that will not rot. The remainder of the roof is made of the newly sanded and re-stained pieces from the original, including the flowerettes.

I then replaced the stone and some temporary plantings at the base.

Its nice to see the bell back in the garden. 

Hearing its chime is soothing and its return helps contribute to this summer's rebirth of the garden.

Switcheroo

Last year I neglected several of my large spirea, including the Spiraea japonica 'Alpina' (Japanese Spirea - aka 'Nana') located on the corner of the garage that was first planted in 2013. 

2013

I really liked this spirea because it had darker foliage than most of the others I have. It also had wonderful pink full flowers that were accentuated by the dark green foliage.

2018

By 2018, it was one of my best formed spirea. I had learned that in order to keep its shape, one needs to trim it two or three time each summer. Sometimes it meant cutting it as it was flowering, but doing so kept it from getting too stringy and out of shape.

2021

Alas, I was to busy with fence repairs and other tasks, I neglected to keep up with the trimming, and by the fall it was stringy and woody, and when I trimmed and removed dead wood, it had basically became a sickly looking shrub. I left it for this summer, and although it recovered slightly, it was still a mess.

I have had this problem elsewhere with other spirea and have learned that cutting it down and relocating it to a better, more sunny location can slowly help bring the shrub back. In fact, I had been spending the last two year rehabilitating a spirea out in the front yard island. It has now do so well that I had to move it out of the island. 

It had grown too large for that location. However, I was able to shape it into a more globe like shrub. So, I decided to switch the two spirea, the newly healed and shaped one would be moved to the garage corner, and what was left of the 'Nana' would move out to the front island.

Rehabilitated spirea moved to garage corner

Spirea 'Nana' moved to the front island

The 'Nana' is in bad shape, but no worse than the shrub it is being switched with when I first moved that other spirea to the island two years ago.

If all goes to plan, the "Nana' should get better while the spirea at the corner continues to fill in that prominent location in the garden.

Only time will tell.

Pruning Time

The pine tree in the viewing garden was becoming a bit overgrown, so it was time for a trim. The last time I prunned it was back in July 2021. At that time I was concerned that I might have over trimmed the tree and potentially killed it. However, it recovered just fine.

This time around the tree was not as overgrown as last time. learning from the past, I knew to keep the pruning simple - don't over prune.

The gaol is to open up the growth so that you can see the trunk. 

The finished pruning is not as tight as the last time, with some of the needle ends of branches extending a bit longer that last time. Nevertheless, I did remove at least 30% of the growth.

Overall, the tree looks better. I will need to see if this becomes an annual or bi-annual necessity. In the meantime, I will simply admire the beauty of the tree.

Garden Guardian

While relaxing in the garden, my attention was drawn to the Mioshi Post Lantern.

Inside the bottom left window opening, I noticed the return of an old friend. I believe he is a Gray Tree Frog, which can change his colors very quickly to match his surroundings. In this case, the granite Mioshi lantern. 

This frog seems a bit smaller than the much larger frog I have seen here in past years. I suspect he is a "child." 

Interestingly, I first noticed a Tree Frog early in the spring living near the top of the underside of the Gazeebo. It seemed like an odd place to reside, but probably is a great place to catch bugs for sustenance. I suspect the moisture from the rains, as well as the twice daily operation of the micro-sprinkler system, help create an environment that is friendly to the frog.

The Tree Frog is nocturnal, so having it living in the Mioshi Post during the day is perfect. I look forward to seeing him again as he watches over the garden.

Morning Glow

After a long and rainy early July, the weather has improved a bit with less humidity and more “normal" like summer temperatures. As a result, the plants, and especially the flowering Hosta and Lillies are no longer drooping from the constant presence of water. With the sun out, and plants drying, they are picking up and making the blooming of the Hosta more enjoyable to see.

The early morning is the best time. The fence panels create a dappled sun light and shade effect that makes the garden even more interesting to experience.

Its nice to see the abundance of bluish-purple blooms from all the Hosta. Its the one time of the year when there is true color in the garden.

I will enjoy the beauty during the brief period before the blooms fall and another cycle completes the garden's ongoing summer transition.

Jurassic Park

I could tell that something was wrong back in the early spring. The Rocket Ligularia (Ligularia stenocephala 'The Rocket') I planted along either side of Buddha in 2022 were meant to replace an earlier 2013 set of 'Bottle Rocket' Ligularia that apparently were only a 2 x 2' version. Unfortunately I didn't pay attention to what I had purchased and ended up with plants that can grow up to 5 or 6', much larger than the originals.

2013

2023

From the images above, one can clearly see the difference in size and height.

There is no doubt that these plants are interesting to behold, but they are out of proportion to the rest of the plantings. They look like something you would find during the Jurassic period.

Even the yellow blooms are huge.

The Buddha corner has definitely improved since last year. I opted not to return the Mexican black stone to the area in front of the statue, and I also decided to leave it plant-free and will let moss take over instead. 

I placed a shallow pot filled with a ground cover (unknown 2016, along side old back steps) in front of Buddha as a temporary fill. I will need to decide on a new location for this plant in the near future.

Even though these plants are interesting, they are just too big. Viewing them from a distance emphasizes the mismatched size. 

So, after they finish flowering, I will dig them up and rework this area again. I will also need to decide what to do with these Jurassic dinosaurs - there really isn't anywhere they fit in the garden or elsewhere on the property.

Completion

Today I painted the pre-primed beadboard underside of the new porch/steps ceiling and finally finished the new back porch/steps project!

Although the house trim is almond, I decided to keep the beadboard white to match the style and color of the kitchen ceiling that is just inside the back door. I also thought that the white might better reflect light to brighten up the area.

Overall, we are very happy with the new porch/steps. It feels like it has always been there and with the addition of the bench, faux muramado window, rain chain, mini-zen garden, and stepping stones, it fits in well with the rest of the garden.

Let it Rain

In the summer rain

the path

has disappeared

 - Yosa Buson

I finally finished the mini-Zen garden alongside the porch/back steps today.

It has taken me a few weeks of painting and planning the final look of the garden. I had several plans in mind, but all required that I prep the area for the installation of the rain chain. Beneath the chain I installed a bucket with holes in the bottom for drainage. I then filled it halfway with rocks and then installed a coated metal screen atop that was salvaged from some old vegetable garden fencing.

There was no need for a full drainage pipe system since the ground here is sandy, but also the roof of the back step is small and will not displace a lot of rain. The roof of the main house has a full length gutter that will divert most water to the far corner of the house and then into the planting bed and lawn.

I then experimented with a mini-Zen garden design based on a "fake" stream bed filled with black Mexican stone. I had a lot of this stone left over from the old bed along the stroll garden that was removed a couple years ago. I also had a pile of left over random rocks to create a "stream" edge.

I placed some potted plants within to get an idea about what it might look like when filled with plants. I was originally going to place a Spirea in front of the window to screen it from view.

After looking at it a few days I decided to abandon this design. It looked artificial, especially since the "fake" stream didn't really go anywhere. I then attempted to replicate a design I saw at the Morikami Japanese Garden in Florida.

Morikami Japanese Garden

I had two stones from my left-over pile that I thought might work as the central focus, but I wasn't in love with them.

I then acquired some more stones, all of which had flat bottoms for easy install.

I finally decided on the two black volcanic rocks in the middle. They looked great and had nice flat bottoms. Together they only cost $5. The only problem was that they were a bit smaller in hight than what I was hoping for, and they have lots of sharp razor like edges which can cut one's hands up very easily (as I discovered the hard way). On the other hand, because they are flat, I don't need to install them into the ground. Instead, they can rest on the base layer and if I decide to change the appearance in the future, I can simply lift them up and move them around.

I also had to decide on what medium I would use for the "sand." Finding affordable crushed granite in my area was impossible. So, on the advice of my friend, and fellow gardener, Stan Hobbs (who maintains his own Japanese stroll garden), I opted for chicken grit. Its better than pea-stone, which is too round and smooth to hold a raked pattern. Instead, the chicken grit has lots of angles and can maintain a pattern, as long as you have a layer of 4 inches. 

My small garden area required four 50 pound bags. At $16 a bag, I thought it was a reasonable expense. 

When dry, its has a nice white shine to it, which offsets the black volcanic rock perfectly. It also contrasts with the surrounding black Mexican stone. However, when wet, it darkens considerably.

It should also be noted that I decided against the Morikami design and eliminated the square frame over the drainage basin. Instead, I simply filled in the area with black Mexican stone. It allowed me to keep the curve of the edging I had already installed, and eliminated all the right angles that did not work well with that curve. I actually think it looks a lot more natural.

Traditionally, I should have used granite for the surrounding paver edge. Again, I could not afford long, large granite pieces for the frame. However, I had a large collection of brick pavers left over from the vegetable garden redo last summer. I decided that the red brick, although not very "Japanese," would work well to tie in the bed with the house which has red brick along the wall. It not only saved a lot of money by recycling the brick, I also think it looks nice with the house and the deck of the new back porch/steps.

I also added a Japanese Painted Fern to the back left corner along the house to break up the foundation wall and add a bit of interest. Next year it will probably look nicer when it grows in place rather than looking like a transplant.

To the right of the large round stone at the front of the bed (behind the Forest Grass) I placed a small Sedum that was transplanted from elsewhere in the garden. I like the green color and the texture of the plant, and I also especially like that it will not grow large and obscure the face of the large rock.

Finally, with the rain chain installed, the mini-Zen garden was done! Five minutes later, a thunder storm and heavy rain began. I have never been so happily excited about rain in my life. 

 

Seeing the rain chain in action was exhilarating. I have spent years thinking about this very moment, my dreams filled with visions of rain chains and rain. It was awesome!

Check out the rain chain during the storm:

Overall, I think the mini-Zen garden has turned out very good. Next, I will make a small wooden rake so I can start raking patterns into the gravel.