thyme on 43 rd japanese gardens
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Stunning Japanese Garden in Langley. B.C. THYME ON 43 RD Japanese GardensTRANSCRIPT
THYME ON 43 RD Japanese Gardens
THYME ON 43 RD JAPANESE GARDENSCongratulations to Hayato Ogawa of Ogawa Landscape Design, who is this year’s winner of the 2013 BCLNA Landscape ‘Awards of Excellence’ as well as the recipient of the prestigious, and rarely presented, ‘Grand Award’ for his Landscape Design & Construction of THYME ON 43 RD JAPANESE GARDENS. These prestigious Landscape Awards will be presented during the 2013 CanWest Hort Show Awards Celebration on Thursday September 19, 2013 at the Vancouver Convention Centre located in Vancouver. B.C
THYME ON 43 RD JAPANESE GARDENS are the inspiration of Evelyn Falkner who had a dream of creating a Japanese styled gardens on her 1 acre rural property in Langley just east of Vancouver. B.C. This beautiful oasis, hidden away on a quiet and unassuming country street, where most of the neighbours know little of the treasure that lies hidden behind the humble cedar slatted fence.
Evelyn's vision was to create a beautiful Japanese themed garden, 'Where Body & Nature Harmonize'. These beautiful breathtaking gardens are open year round for public viewing. The gardens, imbues one's senses with a profound feeling of peace and tranquillity. It is like, 'Poetry In Motion', the motion and melodious sound of the water as it flows downstream, washing over moss covered rocks and pebbles, seems to carry away all cares and concerns you may have.
Most people have dreams, few if any are able to realize those dreams. Evelyn Faulkner made her dream a reality, and is willing to share this beautiful Japanese Garden with everyone.
Jennie Butchart the creator of The Butchart Gardens in Victoria. B.C. was another such individual. Her dream, not unlike Evelyn's, was to create something of lasting beauty and be a legacy for future generations. Jennie's dream was to convert a dried up quarry, 'Portland Cement' that was owned by her husband and had years since sat abandoned leaving an ugly scar upon the land. Over 100 years ago, Jennie commissioned professional landscapers who helped her turn the quarry into one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in Canada. Her gardens, receive over a million visitors each year, and is still owned and operated by family members.
It would be wonderful if, 100 years from now Evelyn's gardens, THYME ON 43 RD JAPANESE GARDENS, would be recognized as a world class botanical garden visited by millions of people from around the world.
To bring this dream to reality, Evelyn commissioned Hayato Ogawa, a Japanese Craftsman schooled in the, 'Ancient Art of Japanese Landscaping' and his company Ogawa Landscape Design. Hayato studied under Master Kyoto Fugasya in Tokyo.After completing a very rigorous training program under this Master Landscaper, and upon
receiving his certification, Hayato relocated to Burnaby, British Columbia where he now resides and runs his company Ogawa Landscape Design.
THYME ON 43 RD JAPANESE GARDENS is also a Retreat Centre, where you can spend days relaxing and strolling around theses magnificent grounds.
Private Tours, Corporate Events, Fundraisers, Fashion Shows, Art Exhibitions & Film Productions have all been held in the gardens.
Before entering the main gardens, visitors walk through a little meandering path that cuts through raised earthen mounds that have a thick blanket of moss & thyme covering them. A low growing Japanese red maple tree seems to break through a misty sea of thyme or what could be a mountain shrouded in cloud with the tip of a pine tree poking through.
In Japan, mounds are representative of or symbolic of mountains in the surrounding environment . In this garden the mounds perhaps are representative of the West Coat Mountain range which form a barrier north & east around Vancouver & the Fraser Valley. Sturdy pines, azaleas, rhododendrons, colourful perennials and red Japanese barren grass add colour texture & interest to this little mountain garden.
A straight path of carefully chosen hand picked stones have been laid down which leads visitors up to the impressive low roofed gated pagoda entrance into the main Japanese Gardens.
The roof sits a top of elaborate stone pillars, each roof support is hand carved using the ancient tongue and grove method of fitting joinery together. Hand tools brought from Japan, following the ancient principles of construction have been used for just about every work completed in the garden. Wooden bow type plugs and notched pegs have been used where needed instead of iron nails.
On passing through the pagoda entrance into the gardens a dry raked gravel garden is first to be observed. A stone retaining wall containing Buxus semp. Boxwood shrubs and a magnificent graceful weeping Katsura tree with arched branches cascades down over the stone wall giving it the appearance of a shimmering waterfall flowing into a lake.
Dry raked gravel garden beds have been used in Japanese landscapes to represent dry lakes, rivers & stream beds. Intricate patterns, waves or concentric circles can be raked in the sand or gravel mimicking ocean waves, or circles that are created when a pebble is dropped in a still water.
An antique water pump found in Saskhatchewan pumps water into a rectangular shaped stone water basin.
Japanese Wisteria grows on the top of a long sturdy 40' pergola.
A babbling gurgling brook of fresh water rushes down along the west side of the garden and alongside the pergola which culminates in a little pond. A stone slab bridge, (hira-bashi) crosses over at the mid point of the stream allowing for easy access to the gardens and courtyard beyond. Further down stream an arched wooden Japanese bridge spans the stream which pours into a pond where huge stones artfully placed lie submerged in the waters below.
Hand crafted authentic structures by Hayato Ogawa
Stepping stones are laid for easy access on and off the bridge. A pine tree anchors one side of the bridge while on the other side an arrangement of interesting stones surround a Japanese stone lantern.
Various types of grasses can be found growing around the streams and ponds, as well as rushes, perennials of many colours and heights. Evergreen shrubs such as viburnums, azaleas, osmathus, skimmia, and blue star junipers are in abundance throughout the gardens.
Pathways of basalt rock laid on edge twist and turn leading into different parts of the garden. A unique feature of Japanese Gardens is the total lack of symmetry unlike the rigid symmetry that is present in most gardens of European & North American design.
This lack of symmetry focuses attention on one side of the garden or the other as the path meanders here and there. More attention is given to the shapes, textures and other features used within the space.
Azumaya in Japan is a waiting pavilion used before entering a tea house. Crafted by hand with hand tools used in the typical ancient method of construction. Butterfly type wooden plugs have been used instead of iron nails holding the wooden benches. This beautiful large timber beam structure has different shapes for the window openings. The structure rests on hand picked foundation stones that have been chiseled by hand with the same type of tools used in Japan today by master craft men following in the tradition of their ancestors.
The round blue/grey antique tile at the top point of the roof comes from a temple in Japan.
Equisetum Hyemale reeds growing beside & in the bronze antique water bowl.
A 250 yr old antique bronze cooking bowl from India collects water being poured into it by an Asian hand crafted bamboo water spout. All the hand crafted bamboo water spout were made by Hayato.
An upright stone stands in solitary meditation. Each stone used in the gardens were hand picked from a quarry located in Whistler. B.C about 150 kms north west of Langley. Hayato believes that each stone he personally selected for these gardens were actually, stones that chose him, through a deep sense of intuition he had.
A living green roof has been installed on top of this stone walled water pump shed.To the left of the pump house grows an 80 year old, 'Weeping Katsura Tree'.
Trachycarpus fortuenei 'Windmill Palm'
A trio of mature Windmill Palms grow out of this stone walled planter. Looking closely you can see that the wall is wave shaped. At the time construction began on the wall, Japan was deluged by a huge Tsunami Wave in 2011. This wave shaped wall reflects the deep sorrow & suffering endured by Hayato and for his people in Japan during this grave time.
A spacious courtyard of blue stone is found at the centre of the garden where a huge waterfall flows down over moss covered rocks, emptying into a pond filled with Koi fish.
Over 50 cubic metres of concrete were used for the foundation that was needed to support this natural looking waterfall.
Mature trees & shurbs were individually selected, and in some cases dug and planted by Hayato giving the garden a finished mature look.
A colourful rainbow of Koi fish swim beneath the surface of this glassy water filled pond.
This image courtesy of Evelyn Faulkner
Stone Lounge & Drink Table Image courtesy of Evelyn Faulkner
A huge arched green roofed pavilion made with large cedar timbers provides shelter from the sun & rain. Evelyn had a permanent stone seating arrangement that curves around a glassed fireplace facing the waterfall that easy seats a number of guests.
above image Ogawa Landscape Design
Soft springy Irish Moss & Thyme can be found between and all around the pathways
A round stone basin sits atop of a flat stone and is fed by a bamboo water spout.
Pinus parviflora started from seed by Hayato
Coral Bark Maple
120 year old Maple Tree
Charming little pathways lead here and there throughout the garden where at the slightest bend another unique stone feature or specimen tree or plant is to be found.
Golden Full Moon Maples ( Acer Shirasawanum)
Coleus plants stand out against the stark grey of the stone.
Japanese painted fern and Rodgersia aesculifolia planted between stone slabs and basalt rock pathway.
Maiden Hair Tree Gingko biloba
A stunning upturn stone with water gushing out and spilling over into the little stream.
Cryptomeria japonica Elegans Japanese Golden Red Cedar
Cupressus Arizonica 'Blue Ice'
Acer Campestre Maple 'Evelyn'
Image courtesy of Evelyn FaulknerHayato builds an old fashioned wooden tripod to lift and set the huge stones in place.
The gardens are meticulously well maintained and often visitors will find Evelyn out there pulling the odd weed that dares to pop up.
I'm looking forward in the fall to re-visiting THYME ON 43 RD JAPANESE GARDENS to see the wonder of this garden in all its autumn colours.
Maureen FrostFrost NurseryWhat's Growing On5863 Beatty Rd, Abbotsford. BC V4X 2E9604-607-7171
THYME ON 43 RDJAPANESE GARDENS21004 43rd AveLangley. BC604-534-5902