gardener in Japan
Exploring private gardens in Tokyo
When I first came to Japan, I had very little money and always tried to save some by walking long distances within the city. This was when I found all these different garden styles which I didn’t see during my work as a gardener in Japan. Private gardens can’t usually be visited except when the […]
Craving Nature but Can’t Stand the Heat – Gardens to visit in Tokyo
Summer is a living nightmare for most in Japan with temperatures only getting higher in recent years. As a professional gardener living and working in Tokyo for the past seven years, I have no choice but to leave our lovely air-conditioned office and head to whichever garden we are working on. However, the truth […]
Pruning shrubs in Japanese gardens (karikomi)
Karikomi is a special design and pruning technique in a Japanese garden which is often seen done with plants of the Rhododendron family in Japan. It is separated into the usual karikomi and o-karikomi – a larger element in the garden put together by more than one shrub. What I want to talk about here […]
Snow protection for trees and shrubs in Niigata – Yukigakoi 雪囲い
When I visited Niigata last year in November, I found that the trees there are not protected in the way I knew from Tokyo and other regions of Japan. A large amount of snow in winter makes it necessary to create very strong protections for trees on Hokkaido and along the coast of the Japanese […]
Works in the Garden in December
Requested by one of our readers was an article about maintenance works throughout the year. I thought it would be nice to make a monthly series out of this. This is part 12, in which I talk about the works in December. You can find the other parts here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, […]
Special maintenance techniques used in Kyoto Gosho
The Kyoto Imperial Palace is a special place. A place full of tradition, elegance, beauty and national treasures. The maintenance of gardens in Kyoto is still highly rated, but even here, the Kyoto Imperial Palace is special. Today I would like to introduce two traditional techniques, which are still conducted in Kyoto Gosho today, but […]
Works in the Garden in November
Requested by one of our readers was an article about maintenance works throughout the year. I thought it would be nice to make a monthly series out of this. This is part 11, in which I talk about the works in November. You can find the other parts here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, […]
Works in the Garden in October
Requested by one of our readers was an article about maintenance works throughout the year. I thought it would be nice to make a monthly series out of this. This is part 10, in which I talk about the works in October. You can find the other parts here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, […]
Works in the Garden in September
Requested by one of our readers was an article about maintenance works throughout the year. I thought it would be nice to make a monthly series out of this. This is part 9, in which I talk about the works in September. You can find the other parts here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, […]
Japanese tree shapes 樹形 Jukei
When study gardening, one topic will eventually cross the ambitioned student: tree shapes. Today I want to introduce the tree shapes you might learn in Japan. These are, of course varying slightly from the typical forms in Europe or America. Some of them are unique to Japan. Tree shapes Natural shapes Oval shape 卵形 tamago-gata […]