Hey Herb,

I think your fence choice is more effective at disguising the steel than the yotsume gaki, and your lantern choice is nice as well. I was looking for a simple and modest lantern like the one you chose. Is that one of your lantern creations?

I elaborated on my original idea and replaced the lantern with a stone to be more economical. I may try something completely different virtual if i get a chance later this evening.

-christian

{{gwi:1005887}}

Christian -

Yes, the lantern is one of mine, though I wouldn't claim it was my creation - I saw one very much like it in the JOJG a few years ago & copied it.

We must have been thinking along the same lines, because I also tried a picture with a rock in place of the lantern - it was one I saw at the local gravel mart a few months ago & liked and that's now in a corner of our garden.

Now I'm tempted to amend the design further to include your arrangement of rocks near the water basin: I like them better......

Click for Henrik's tsukubai with a rock instead of a lantern

Was the rock the wrong colour? Would a browner one be better?

Click here

Hey Herb,
I think the stone you chose works well in the composition. I like the bluer tones which match the basin and even play off of the pavers a little. Im not sure the espalliered camellia works after further reflection. The verticals of the steel draw the eye upwards and the yotsume gaki doesnt really seem to alleviate that. I think maybe a solid horizontal bamboo fence may keep the eye focused low and wide. I like your idea of the basin seated in pebbles instead of gravel. I think it fits the scale a little bit better, but maybe some dark black or bluish rounded pebbles. I didnt touch Henricks arrangement around the basin, i think it looks pretty good as is. I had the idea of moving the stooping stone half in the garden and half in the pavers to encourage more of a bow in order to partake of the water. Not sure if that would work, though. Lantern looks great, maybe Henrick can commission a lantern from you...;)

Ill try another virt tomorrow night.

-christian

I added some more pics in the tsukubai thread ;)

And I really like your suggestions!!!! I wish I had a maple of that size ;)

/Henrik

Christian -

I - & I'm sure Henrik - look forward to seeing your next one.

I've noticed wide variations in the sort of pebbles or gravel used in tsukubais. I've gone for rounded, big-fist-sized gravel because it's much less trouble to work on when it's time to remove dead leaves & debris, but I agree with you that in Henrik's situation, the small pebbles look a lot better than gravel.

As to the lantern, I doubt very much that Henrik would want to order one from North America! Mailing costs to Europe are so high that they can often be more than the value of the package itself - unless, perhaps it contains a concrete or Hypertufa object of the sort advertised on some websites - usually in California - with prices so stupendous that they take your breath away.

If anybody wants a simple little lantern like the one in the picture, I feel sure he could make one - there are some pictures in my album at Pbase that give the general idea of how to do it.

Herb

Click here

I just feel I should point out, that the back is not nay kind of metal, it is wood panel painted in a grey/green color ;) So it is not that intimidating that it might look. If it was metal, I would made a "not see through" fence right away!!!

kind regards
Henrik
ps new pics in the discussions forum ds

Hey Henrik,

My mistake about the wood, i should have looked a bit closer. Still though, i think a bamboo screen will give the space a more authentic flavor. Here is another virtual idea. I tried to incorporate the bamboo in this one to separate the tsuboniwa from the driveway. Im not sure what your intent is with the space, so i just took the liberty of giving it a a more enclosed, intimate feel with the surrounding plants. The dark evergreen could be camellia, cleyera, peiris, or kalmia. The bamboo could be kept small and delicate and airy. The pebbles may be the wrong color, but to me they feel softer somehow. Lanterns are expensive, but since it was free to put one in the virtual, i did! Disclaimer: I am an ametuer, so please take my advise with a grain of salt, and choose what you think looks best in your garden.

-christian

{{gwi:1005888}}

I really like it! However, I think I should keep the bamboo in the right corner... it has an awful lot of roots right now and I dont dare moving it :( I do have a pieris that (when it grows a few more dm) will block the view rather good.

I like the composition of the shrub in the rear right corner, its really dense!!!

Im not sure however, that the yukimi-gata should be used there... When I get enough money, I will buy one and put it close to my pond...

And I really like the moss!!! Can I pick moss from the forrest and plant it there??? Will it survive?

Whats that schrub between the basin and the lantern??? It looks really nice!

Thanks, and I wish it was that easy to re-arrange things in real life!

/Henrik

Hey Henrik,

You can certainly create a good design while leaving the bamboo in its present location. You will probably need to contain the roots if it is a running species or it will surely take over such a small space in a couple of years. Depending on the species, you can either prune it like temple bamboo (Semiarundinaria fastuosa/narihira), or let it remain light and airy.

You can transplant moss directly to your garden, or you can buy moss spores and sprinkle them on the soil. Some mosses can be propogated by drying and then crumbling them over the soil.

Im not positive about the plant behind the lantern, but i believe it is some sort of aspidrista, maybe a dwarf variety.

good luck and enjoy the process,
christian

Here is a link that might be useful: Narihira bamboo