Nice work Michael.

I believe these are the photos Christian has been waiting for.

I havenÂt been there since the fall plant sale, so IÂll have to make an attempt to visit this weekend.

I still find it a little strange not to see FujitaroÂs home sitting up on the knoll behind the now new stone formation.

Thanks for sharing these photos.

Special for me too Michael, thanks a bunch for the photos. I played them backwards and you did a fine job of taking me through the enterance and to the area we saw constructed. The bridge was cool but the one end didn't quite fit properly, maybe this is why they removed it. I agree it looks better this way. The bridge just didn't seem to work in the area. The stream is not as prevelent as I had thought it would be. Maybe they are not quite finished. That is not the only change. A couple of plants and bark and stone. One thing I noticed since I saw them place the large stone in the back is that it is tilting forward slightly now and it wasn't that day. It should be straightened, it makes you feel uneasy. (Wouldn't have noticed if not learning from this forum. Mike told me about being sure everything looks stable so the body relaxes and the brain doesn't send warning signals and ruin your peace of mind.) Long winded I know!

Did You get a chance to speak to anyone about the changes? If no one knows I could e-mail and find out why. But I do agree it looks better. Now I have to go to the gallery and refer to Christian's original photos of the area.

CHEERS! Jando

Hi Everybody;

First of all I did not mean to leave Christian hanging. Sorry Bro.

Jando, it rained a lot in the last week. That stream looked like it was finished but due to the rains it was full of bark dust. A maintenance issue no doubt. The rains are most likely causing the stones to shift around. Again another maintenance issue. That bridge seemed a little "forced" during the install. I understand the symbolism but the "empty space" it left really causes the main formation to stand out. I had the place to myself and did not talk to anyone. It was pretty serene.

It is neat how the views in the stroll garden change throughout the seasons. Some larger stones for example that were not apparent earlier are starting to peak out behind the drop of the fall foliage. A little hide and seek. I work in the Seattle area so I can find time to get by there. If ANYONE wants pics, please let me know.

BTW, speaking of symbolism, there is a huge Douglas Fir that is above all of the other trees there. It really stands out. On a previous visit my kids thought it looked like the Space Needle. So much for only rocks having names.

Michael

Thanks for the explanation Michael. I have found the wisdom others in the forum had tried to offer, I hate bark in the Japanese Garden. It just doesn't do the job and causes more problems than it is worth. It is really hard to keep out of stone and streams. New alternatives need to be found. Ground covers work but they take time to get established on slopes.

And any photos with the changes in the garden are always welcomed. Its cool to see how the seasons of a garden make it look and feel entirely different.

Chuckling, I see your Kids have your sense of humor, good play on words. "Space Needle Pine" ;)

Cheers Jando

Those stones rang a bell. And then I realised why. They looked (to me) surprisingly like a rock arrangement at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific Zen Garden in Victoria.

Click to compare them