“The East is wiser than the West, for it finds the essence of all things grounded in the psyche.” Carl Jung
July 2021 and the potted garden has now moved from its Yorkshire courtyard to more permanent Derbyshire roots. Other than locale, it looks almost the same since all the plants are being temporarily housed on a front raised platform. Many will abide here until some progress has been made with the back garden restructure. This will take several weeks (with the eventual design completed many, many months later).
This frontage has room for a herb potagerie by the entrance door whilst the dais will house an Occidental plant collection. It will be much more colourful than the muted Japanese style of the back garden, and will give a pleasing contrast when passing through the garden gate.
Set within a woodland garden clearing, the back garden is a blank canvas, awaiting a major design transformation. Easy to say, but doing it is quite another matter! For this area has been neglected and deserted long enough for a wilding to take hold.
There is a small glasshouse that needs mending whilst the raised lawn area has turned into a meadow (now strimmed to an untidy haircut.)
Beyond the lawn, a Heath Robinson sloping rockery is home to nettle, bramble and bracken with some past plantings putting in a vague reminder of more cultivated times.
“Why do you want a Japanese garden?” asked my daughter the other day and the answer is simply that with age, I’ve come to like best that aesthetic sense of Serenity, Grace and Beauty in one harmonious design.
On my one and only trip to the Chelsea Flower Show many moons ago, I aimed straight for the English courtyard garden designed by a Japanese woman. Alas, I cannot recall her name but the simplicity she brought to the design has stuck with me. I’m effectively doing the same as her, but in reverse. Sort of re-orienting the Orient.
I don’t believe that Westerners can fully grasp the Japanese zeitgeist but we can emulate. Hence, by using the adjectival suffix ‘esque’, I’m aiming for something reminiscent. Thus my old style ‘Garden in a Pot’ is morphing into ‘My Japanesque Garden’. Watch this space!
My Japanesque Garden 
“…nettle, bramble and bracken” sound familiar. Good gloves are a necessity! Have you drawn out your intentions yet? I think it is a good idea to sketch the design of the garden before you start. And I waited a full year before doing any work to see what plants appeared and whether I wanted to keep them. I suspect you will want to get clearing under way long before that!
Yes Jude I have a friend who is drawing up a detailed plan of the ‘as is’ and the ‘will be’ – being here has helped me modify design intentions even further. There is nothing to salvage so its a case of a complete overhaul with good gloves as well as mechanical equipment – I shall take pics all along the way!
Sounds exciting!
new beginnings – so exciting. And I like the ‘esque’ as also in arabesque – poise, a stillness yet an ongoing, form elemental but never simply simple. Bon voyage!
you have picked up the Japanesque mood nicely, Tish, with your commentary – much manual labour to be had beforehand though
That – giving the garden good bones – stage is hard work, but so exciting to see the ideas come to life, the plants grow to fill their spaces.
I have loved watching you re-garden after ‘Elephant’s Eye’ and this will involve a similiar start from scratch – excited to at least get the first of the plan in place in a couple of weeks