“When you intend to set stones, bring in the first place a number of rocks on the site, rocks of different shapes, more or less wide and place them temporarily on the ground. Creating a garden is a very slow gestation. The site must be visited several times in different seasons in order to grasp the infinite nuances before to gather materials.”- The Sakutei-ki
Once our bamboo and bark fence built – typical Japanese design or sugi kawahei 杉 皮 塀 – we spent the winter collecting raw materials needed to create our first tsuboniwa in Green Ardeche.
Sumptuous granite rocks weathered of lichen and moss …
… old granite cobblestones of Lyon also weathered …
… small slate tiles …
… beautiful black pebbles …
… and a light-colored gravel to illuminate the whole.
For the plant side, it is a succinct and rustic choice, because the area is exposed for many hours of the day in the hot sun. So moss of different varieties collected in a place subject to the same conditions …
… and an elegant bamboo with green-streaked yellow canes and yellow-streaked green leaves (Phyllostachys aureosulcata spectabilis).
With the beautiful and long days income, and all these interesting elements at our disposal, the final phase is about to begin…!