Painting Life into the Japanese Garden

    I arrived at Foulkeways in November 2023 to gardens that could use a great deal of tending and an abundance of possibilities.  The Japanese Garden, located along the oak trail by the cherry allée, in particular was an untamed beast that had been neglected. At the request of Fern Denney, I began spending some time in the garden trying to get some sense of order back . While it's still quite a bit of a mess and a continuous work in progress, a fun painting project has brought some beauty back into the garden. 

 The culverts that the garden is built around are very prominent and unsightly. Mike Gornnert, our fearless Grounds leader, came up with the idea of painting them as a way to improve the aesthetics and blend the culverts into the garden better. After reaching out to the Grounds Committee at a meeting, Marie Weaver stepped up and took on the project. 

Before. The culvert on a snowy day 

Before. The culvert on a snowy day 

A Japanese garden is meant to be subtle and tranquil and Marie did an amazing job in respecting that aesthetic. After proposing her ideas and showing us some different renditions, we all agreed the brown background with  two different toned branches looked the best. Alain power washed the culverts to give a clean surface to Marie for painting and on a warm sunny day she painted them, with Debbie Abbott assisting. 

Photo by Mike Gornnert

Marie painting. Photo by Mike Gornnert

The results are beautiful and as plants surrounding the culverts grow in such as the Jasminum nudiflorum (winter jasmine) and various ferns and grasses, the garden will only get better and better. Thank you Marie, Debbie, and Fern and the whole Grounds Committee for showing care for the garden and bringing Mike's creative idea to fruition. 

Photo by Marie Weaver

Photo by Marie Weaver

Work will continue on the Japanese garden but as we've entered Spring, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of plants emerging. The Japanese Quince (Chaenomeles japonica) has been blooming for weeks and  Barrenwort's (Epimedium sp.) bright yellow flowers add a lovely pop of color. Solomon's seal (Polygonatum sp.) and Ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) are awake and filling in all the empty spaces. I was even lucky enough to encounter a little Primula as it briefly bloomed! 

Chaenomeles japonica in full bloom

Primula sp. - possibly Primula veris

Epimedium sp. in bloom next to Hellebores and spring bulbs

This garden has become one of my favorites to work in and on early mornings when the sun just begins to rise, a stop in the garden to admire all the beauty that was hidden is a peaceful way to start the day. It is very evident to me that a lot of thought, love and care went into the garden so I am more than happy to bring that love back to life. 

The Japanese garden early in the morning 

-Julie