The Seattle Japanese Garden Then & Now | Part II: The Conifers

Culturally and aesthetically significant, conifers are an integral part of the Japanese Garden. They bring a feeling of age and stability and help define areas in the garden that refer to natural landscapes of Japan, such as open woodlands, forested mountains, wooded hills and islands, and wind-swept shores.

Juki Iida included existing native conifers in his landscaping. Some remain, and he selections of conifers since the garden’s first decade have been inspired by Juki’s Iida’s design and vision for the Japanese Garden.

In the Garden, History, Japanese Garden Design, Plants and BloomsMaggie CarrJune 22, 2021Pine, Japanese Garden, Japanese Pine, Trees, Hinoki, Juki Iida

Candling: The Art of Japanese Pine Pruning

You may notice at this time of year pine trees are covered with prominent upright buds at the branch tips. These are called candles, and they are the spring growth of the tree.

In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, Spring, Plants and BloomsRumi TsuchihashiMay 14, 2019Candling, Pine Candling, Japanese Pine, Pruning, Seattle, Japanese Garden, Spring, tree

Candling: The Art of Japanese Pine Pruning

You may notice at this time of year pine trees are covered with prominent upright buds at the branch tips. These are called candles, and they are the spring growth of the tree.

In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, Spring, Plants and BloomsRumi TsuchihashiMay 6, 2016Candling, Pine Candling, Japanese Pine, Pruning, Seattle, Japanese Garden, Spring, tree

Juki Iida & Richard Yamasaki: Collaborating in Space & Time

The Seattle Japanese Garden was a collaborative work that involved a number of Japanese design team members. It was also, as this article examines, a unique collaboration between lead designer Juki Iida, and Richard Yamasaki, one of the Seattle landscape contractors hired to build it.

In the Garden, Japanese Culture, Japanese Garden DesignRumi TsuchihashiApril 8, 2016Juki Iida, Seattle, Japanese Garden, Garden Design, History, Maple, pagoda, Sculpture, tea house, Moss, tree, Water, Stone, Japanese Pine

Trees in a Japanese Garden: an Idealized Vision of Nature

Japanese gardens are inspired by a deep respect for nature, but they’re certainly not “natural.” Instead, they’re works of art that aim to achieve a balance between wildness and control...

History, In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, PhotographyRumi TsuchihashiMarch 15, 2016Spring, Japanese Garden, Seattle, tree, Maple, Zen, bloom, Fragrant, Stone, Shrub, Cherry, Plum, Moss, Pine, Japanese Pine, Bamboo

The Healing Power of Japanese Gardens: “Stone Gardens” in the Japanese American Internment Camps

Japanese Americans in forced relocation showed their courage and preserved their cultural heritage through the creation of gardens.

History, In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, PhotographyRumi TsuchihashiOctober 8, 2015Seattle, Japanese Garden, gardening, History, Japanese Culture, Juki Iida, Japanese Pine

Seattle Japanese Garden: A Historical Perspective

Our Seattle Japanese Garden is considered a “stroll garden,” and consists of a central pond with a meandering path around it. In many ways, it resembles the stroll gardens created in Japan during the Edo Period (1603-1867).

History, In the Garden, Japanese Garden DesignRumi TsuchihashiJuly 9, 2015Japan, Japanese, Japanese Culture, Japanese Garden, Japanese Pine, Juki Iida

The Story of the Century Old Black Pine Tree

The century old pine gifted by Richard Yamasaki, who dedicated over 30 years to Seattle Japanese Garden.

History, In the Garden, Japanese Culture, Plants and BloomsRumi TsuchihashiMarch 13, 2015Japanese Culture, Japanese Garden, Japanese Pine, Juki Iida, Pruning, Richard Yamasaki

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