Journal Entry

Japanese Tea Garden Journal

April 7, 2011

Tho I am far, far away from anything that actually looks like a Japanese Tea Garden yet, I have found great satisfaction in my daily efforts toward that end. I mentioned that this has been a nine year long dream of mine. What I didn’t address was the impetus for finally starting. I think it important to know why we do what we do when we do it. It’s an integral part of living your life actually aware and plugged in to your own ‘present’ moment.

I was having a discussion with a dear friend that asked what I participated in to reduce stress, something I did ‘just for me’. It struck me that if a friend this close to me had to ask that question, whatever it was must not be evident in my day-to-day world. This friend KNOWS me, knows me well. If she didn’t know, no one would. This sent up all kinds of red flags for me. Then she asked me what I would do for myself if I could.

I ‘do’ all kinds of things. I ‘enjoy’ a lot of different activities. I am blessed to love my vocation of choice. I think part of my key to enjoying life is that I look for things to appreciate in the mundane chores required, as an example – how I enjoy hanging out the laundry on the line or the sense of immediate gratification I get from ironing. I choose not to see it as something I have to do but rather something I enjoy doing. But what do I “do” just for my personal pleasure, something to nourish my soul, if you will?

At first glance, I didn’t see anything. Apparently, my friend didn’t either. Then I thought about my daily tea ritual at 2 in the afternoon. I “do” that for me. Thoughts of my tea ritual led me to my dream for the Japanese tea garden and the serenity I feel when I simply contemplate sitting in the midst of this garden, away from the world and her stresses. That’s what I would do if I could, I would create my garden rather than just dreaming the years away. I would “do” that just for me if I could.

No, I can’t run out and buy the materials to put the fences up and building the actual Tea House may be light years away (even if it is small) in a realistic world but I can DO something. I can start! I can rake and prune trees and plot my vision in color on the computer…all of which I have done already. I walk the “fence lines” looking at the area from every angle to make sure my vision encompasses all the standard elements for a traditional Japanese garden. I ‘feel’ the emotion and peace I anticipate when I finally get to stroll the winding paths admiring the plantings and structure of the garden as I discover each new view all over again every day. I can do that. 

For years I have poured over pictures of Japanese gardens in anticipation of actually having one of my own. I will continue to peruse the pictures because it puts a ‘face’ on my vision, if that makes sense. But I am determined to longer just dream. Each day I am one day closer to my vision coming to life and I will “DO” something as often as I can toward that end.

            I hope you will “DO” something just for you, too!

Japanese Tea Garden Journal Intro

Japanese Tea Garden Journal

April 4, 2011

Today is the first day of actual hands-on work on the Tea Garden. Nine years of planning and dreaming and visualizing have moved on to the next phase…doing! I raked the whole area and staked off the fence lines. It was a labor of love and I proudly wear my new blisters as a badge of progress!

It will be completed, of course, on a pay as you go basis…no debt will be incurred to finish the project. So, progress in ‘leaps and bounds’ may be a bit optimistic but as a confirmation of commitment and an affirmation of intent, I will rake the area when I can do nothing else. Japanese gardens are quite well maintained, you know, albeit a low maintenance proposition.

I measured off the space; it is approximately 25’ X 50’. This is the distance from the side of the house to the property line between us and the Peterson neighbors and from the front edge of the house 50’ back toward the existing shed. The Tea House I see in my visions will sit between two of the Yupon trees that live in the garden area now.

I plan to situate the Tea House to face East. I love the morning sun and this will place the Tea House entrance as the first thing you see when you walk through the Asian style gate in the fence. I want the Tea House to measure 8’X8’. This is large enough for a table for the heating element for boiling tea water and a low table to sit around for the actual tea preparation and serving. I’ll be brushing up on the formal tea ceremony in the meantime. I hope to one day have the Tea House screened in so we can sleep out there when the weather allows. Ya gotta love living in the country!

In my vision, there is a water feature. I am still pondering the type and location but to be in keeping with Japanese gardens, I want the water feature to be seen from a sitting position in the Tea House, as you enter the gate, from the proposed sitting area and from inside the bedroom window that overlooks the garden area.

I hope to use bamboo/reed fencing around the shed (back) side and property line side of the garden. I want a wooden privacy fence on the side facing the back yard/doggy run and the side toward the front yard/street. The gate I envision will be Asian in design and there will be a rock walkway from the back of the house to the gate. One the end of the garden toward the front yard, I want another smaller gate of the same design to give access to the steps we will be cutting into the slope and to give just a hint of the secret garden from the street view up the hill.

So, this is me, excited about our journey to the Japanese Tea Garden. I will journal the adventure and share the project as I go. Hope you'll have tea with me one day...that's the vision!