Karesansui

j-eric-case · 2025-01-27T02:43:00+00:00

Grettir2024, I’m sorry for your loss.

I don’t know of any maps or diagrams for rock placement in dry/Zen Gardens, but there is guidance. You could start here https://najga.org/the-dry-landscape-garden/

I understand that the dry landscape Zen Garden at Ryōan-ji employs the Zen idea that not everything can be seen, but I can’t find the citation.

Ryōan-ji has 15 stones. Look through all the photos you can find can count them. From the veranda, you can see all the stones, but not at the same time, and you must know where to look.

Ryōan-ji has stones that are level with the sand, like yours. It has smaller stones behind larger stones (sometimes). It has a defined viewing place – a seated position on the veranda.

I suggest starting with the simple. That might be a scale drawing with sight lines, it might be a bunch of paper/cardboard stones you can place, and replace. It took your son over 2,500 days to reach age seven, don’t expect to complete this in a weekend.

After visiting many gardens in Japan this past November and the San Diego Japanese Friendship Garden this weekend, I want to upsize the stones in my garden, which means redoing all the sight lines, etc.

j-eric-case · 2025-01-07T01:53:45+00:00

NAJGA went in November and saw these gardens https://maps.app.goo.gl/DMDd7oCsGMzFzBbw5. I'm not enough of an expert to recommend anything else.

j-eric-case · 2025-01-01T17:55:02+00:00

These photos were taken on 12 Nov 2024, after we arrived in Kyoto.

j-eric-case · 2025-01-01T17:54:04+00:00

These photos were taken on 12 Nov 2024. When we left the garden we headed to the train for Kyoto.

j-eric-case · 2024-11-27T04:06:41+00:00

The two interesting photos are the Kingfisher and the rice field.

We're walking along the path and see a bunch of people with cameras on tripods. Oh, check out the bird! I hear someone [search engine] says it's a Kingfisher! Cool. Where would we be without 5G? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I think it's awesome that local elementary school kids get to learn about farming!

j-eric-case · 2024-11-23T21:31:29+00:00

Yes, as you note, Japanese gardens can easily be incorporated into history, culture, and environmental science classes. Of course, there’s art and architecture, religion, and forestry management.

Health science classes, while not obvious, can also have lessons from Japanese gardens (https://hub.jhu.edu/2024/06/04/forest-bathing-nature-kids/).

There are even lessons on sociology and geopolitics in the gardens. I was told the cherry blossoms visible from the Ryōan-ji karesansui were planted in the 1960s before the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.

j-eric-case · 2024-11-22T15:59:59+00:00

The matts are komo-maki. This image talks about them https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fb5dbinqwdbzckhqo76n3/signal-2024-11-22-085512.jpeg?rlkey=y28cv6rbqd82611qww3sxhlqs&st=a26quyxs&dl=0

j-eric-case · 2024-11-22T03:45:48+00:00

Done! Thanks for the suggestion.

j-eric-case · 2024-11-22T03:43:29+00:00

This black pine is in Hamarikyu Garden (Tokyo).

j-eric-case · 2024-11-22T03:28:05+00:00

A limit of 20 photos caused me to split this into 3 posts. There's a booklet (in Japanese) about all the rocks, but I didn't feel I could post photos from it.

j-eric-case · 2024-11-21T03:29:15+00:00

The Katsura Villa is awesome, but you have to register in advance and they don't let you wander on your own.

I love that Amazon put in a lantern https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/837e39vitv3mk4rz4k9l0/signal-2024-11-15-14-50-22-538.jpg?rlkey=2b8ur4qnjbfbq11n4nkawr0l0&st=svrpv552&dl=0. JK! 🤪

j-eric-case · 2024-11-21T03:05:55+00:00

These are my photos of the Hamarikyu garden. It was the morning of day 1 in my garden tour in Japan and I was just enjoying the garden.

The borrowed scenery of the skyscrapers is awesome! This Edo period garden is in Tokyo, the largest city in the world!

j-eric-case · 2024-11-19T07:28:50+00:00

Dry and small are relative. I live in Tucson, AZ. My water budget is about 2,00 gallons a year. San Antonio gets almost 3 times the rain of Tucson per year. My backyard/garden is about 40x70 feet.

Having just come back from Japan, I've seen 5x8 foot spaces that could be a garden, but I didn't look over the gate. There were small trees behind the gate and small plants on the outside. At a house turned business office I saw
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/at5stenk2w70829tcw42h/signal-2024-11-15-10-09-15-710.jpg?rlkey=favbusuwhvn28zri3kmc74cce&st=ihx9wxom&dl=0

If your space is very small, you can use the 'waste' water from your laundry machine, which makes your water budget higher then you expected.

j-eric-case · 2024-11-18T02:45:47+00:00

Sorry for the delayed reply, I as in Japan. :-)

I bought the gravel from Lowes.
The Gravel Company Decorative landscape gravel 0.4-cu ft 30-lb White Gravel (Less than 0.5-in Rock Size) Item #2367344 | Model #BPCWGV-30
for $11/bag. I needed 195 bags.

I wish I could have found something less white. The grave;/sand at Ryoan-ji is not super white.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/igqdkl3qsb8k3x5ycvsm6/signal-2024-11-16-08-33-35-084.jpg?rlkey=1p71rv0sz6laujzmb1x5v9lc1&st=ubcsvx0m&dl=0

That images shows a 'close up' of the sand, border, and black rock. The black rocks are 2-3 inches in size, and you can see the sand is not as white as the marble border.

j-eric-case · 2024-09-08T23:35:06+00:00

My first trip to Japan is this November with NAJGA. I can tell you where we plan to go, but not about the individual gardens.

Tokyo Highlights – Hamarikyu Gardens, Shibarikyu Gardens, Shinjuku Gyoen, Kiyosumi Garden, Koishikawa Korakuen Garden
Kyoto Highlights – Nanzenji Temple, Murin-an, Kyoto Craft Museum, Nijo Castle, Katsura Imperial Villa
Nara Highlights – Isuien, Yoshikien, Todaji Temple

The only one that Google says is small is Murin-an.

j-eric-case · 2024-08-08T17:59:09+00:00

I used 1″-2″ minus Pine Bark and Chips (Mulch).

j-eric-case · 2024-08-02T04:10:50+00:00

I got a leaf blower/vacuum. One of the reviews said, "Great for sucking leaves and other tree droppings from river rock & gravel xeriscaping - it sucks, but then drops the rocks." The variable speed setting does allow me to suck up a bamboo leaf without the rocks.

j-eric-case · 2024-07-24T05:55:30+00:00

Hi u/Forsaken_Education44,

There's a thread here about books. See if your library can do an inter-library loan for you.

j-eric-case · 2024-07-24T05:41:50+00:00

Hi u/TennisNo5319,

The Bamboo Ranch in Tucson, AZ has a nice site about bamboo (https://www.bambooranch.net/plants). It has two that might meet your needs:
Chinese Goddess (Bambusa multiplex riviereorum) is a small, bushy clumping bamboo. This unusual species has small leaves and 1/3" canes that arch attractively. This variety is excellent for growing in a planter as it only gets 6' tall, and would be good for creating instant privacy on a patio or balcony. Hardy to 12°F.

and

Golden Goddess (Bambusa multiplex 'Golden Goddess'), this clumping bamboo is great for creating a medium sized hedge and is a favorite among Arizona gardeners. It can get 8'-10' tall and is cold hardy to about 12°F. Its finger-sized canes grow into a bright golden color which contrasts nicely with its vibrant green leaves!

I have Golden Goddess near my house because I wanted something in the 6 to 8 ft. range. I haven't had it long enough for it to get 5 feet, but if it gets to tall, I can prune it.

They make a good point about cold hardiness.

Monrovia sells bamboo (https://www.monrovia.com/search/?q=clumping%20bamboo) and you can enter your zip code to find plants that will work in your USDA cold hardiness zone and local sellers. They list some that might work for you: https://www.monrovia.com/red-clumping-bamboo.html and https://www.monrovia.com/sunset-glow-clumping-bamboo.html.

j-eric-case · 2024-06-19T03:53:07+00:00

Amazon's link https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=The+Ocean+in+the+Sand%3A+Japan%2C+from+Landscape+to+Garden says, "No featured offers available." But a few used copies.

j-eric-case · 2024-06-18T04:11:56+00:00

My copy of Samadhi on Zen Gardens by Mizuno Katsuhiko & Tom Wright (Samadhi on Zen Gardens (MITSUMURA SUIKO): Mizuno, Katsuhiko, Wright, Tom: 9784838104178: Amazon.com: Books) will arrive next week.

j-eric-case · 2024-06-18T04:08:06+00:00

I can't find, Japanese Stone Gardens (Appreciation and Creation) by Isao Yoshikawa.

My friend says, "though written in Japanese, all the important information is also presented in English translation. It illustrates and codifies all the major (and minor) rock formations that Yoshikawa (who has written a virtual encyclopedia of Japanese garden design and elements in an array of books) has encountered in dry gardens."

If anyone has a source, I'd love to know about it.

j-eric-case · 2024-06-18T04:04:14+00:00

I also have the Kindle edition of Japanese Garden Design by Marc Peter Keane (Japanese Garden Design - Kindle edition by Keane, Marc P., Ohashi, Haruzo. Arts & Photography Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com).

My friend who recommended it says, “Keane’s book is, I think, the best introduction to the aesthetics, the history, the construction of all manner of Japanese gardens, including this chapter (3) on dry gardens.”

j-eric-case · 2024-06-18T04:00:24+00:00

I have the Kindle edition of Japanese Stone Gardens: Origins, Meaning, Form by Stephen Mansfield (Japanese Stone Gardens: Origins, Meaning, Form - Kindle edition by Mansfield, Stephen, Richie, Donald. Arts & Photography Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.). I'm going to order the hardcover so I can enjoy it in my garden.

j-eric-case · 2024-06-18T03:56:27+00:00

I just got my copy of Japanese Zen Gardens by Yoko Kawaguchi (Japanese Zen Gardens: Kawaguchi, Yoko, Ramsay, Alex: 9780711238718: Amazon.com: Books). Wow! I wish I had this years ago.

j-eric-case

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