This month, he teaches us about karikomi, the technique of shrub shaping that is a distinctive element of Japanese gardens.

In the Garden, Japanese Garden DesignRumi TsuchihashiJune 15, 2016Seattle, Japanese Garden, gardening, Shrub, Pruning, Spring, Karikomi, Azalea, tree, bloom, Rhododendron, Holly, Boxwood, Yew

Styrax: Japan’s Lovely Snowbell Trees

The graceful Styrax, Japanese Snowbell, is a deciduous tree native to Japan that bears bell-like white flowers in late spring.

In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, Spring, Plants and BloomsRumi TsuchihashiMay 11, 2016Seattle, Japanese Garden, Styrax, Snowbell, bloom, Pond, tree, Spring, Fragrant, Fall, tea house, Wood

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

Nature versus Nurture in the Japanese Garden: A Gardener's Perspective

Visitors to the garden often comment on the splendor and beauty of nature and the care and attention that is obviously lavished on the garden. What they are observing and being moved by is the careful, intentional integration of nature and nurture.

In the Garden, Japanese Culture, Japanese Garden DesignRumi TsuchihashiApril 8, 2016Seattle, Japanese Garden, gardening, Stone, Water, tree, Shrub, Moss, Pine, Maple, Azalea, Cherry, Plum, Crabapple

In Bloom: Western Wake Robin, a Spring Ephemeral

The charming Western Wake Robin is a Pacific Northwest native that quietly blooms in Seattle Japanese Garden from late-March to early April.

In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, Spring, Plants and BloomsRumi TsuchihashiApril 4, 2016bloom, Seattle, Japanese Garden, Western Rake Robin, Spring, Trillium, Ants

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

Yohaku no bi: The Beauty of Empty Space

White spaces can be profoundly beautiful; full of mystery and promise, a reminder of the infinite potential that dwells within nature--and each of us.

Events, History, In the Garden, Japanese Garden DesignRumi TsuchihashiMarch 15, 2016Seattle, Japanese Garden, Pine, History, Japanese Culture, Art, Buddhism, Zen, Stone, Garden Design, Pond, Space, Class

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