Our health and inner realization through our garden - Niwatherapy©/Traditions and culture of Japan/Niwaki and Niwashi - Miscellaneous
NAJGA 2018 – International Japanese Garden Conference – Portland
The North American Japanese Garden Association – NAJGA – promotes the sustainability of Japanese gardens in this part of the world. Through education, professional development, and academic research, NAJGA builds a network of industry professionals and garden enthusiasts to create and sustain gardens that better serve the needs of individuals and society.
This association sought presenters for its 2018 conference on Japanese gardens as a universal landscape form “Japan’s Gift to the World – Japanese Gardens as Global Phenomenon”. The conference is from September 29 through October 1, 2018, in Portland, Oregon. It is co-organized by the Garden Society of Japan and the Portland Japanese Garden. It will feature lectures and hands-on workshops.
As the Association was interested in discussions on the therapeutic aspect of this type of gardens, I therefore proposed my application to present my Niwatherapy© and my gardens “nature reflection©”, and this one was retained !
Now, I need to see how to organize my trip …!
New video – Gyokusen-en
A new video is now on the e-learning Platform of JAPANESE GARDEN INSTITUTE, the Gyokusen-en garden, a stunning and very old tea garden, located in Kanazawa at the north of Kyoto. Elegance and refinement at their summit.
To watch it, rendez-vous at this adress :
Looking forward to having you among the community of the “Sublime SUKIYA” Academy (prev. NIWAKI Inspiration ZEN) … !
Creation, maintenance and tips for my Japanese garden/Traditions and culture of Japan/Testimony of gardeners
Australia – The “Sublime SUKIYA” Academy “sets stones” in paradise…
Also in Australia, at the same time as teaching Japanese pruning, my expertise was asked about the structure of a future, large and very natural garden – about 1 hectare, descending slowly from the house towards the river.
We spent two days laying huge, beautiful granite patinated rocks, with the largest about 4.3 tons, trying to create arrangements as natural as possible, such as those made in Japan, which will be later surrounded by various plants and trees, added to the old eucalyptus already existing on the site, an old paddock welcoming sheep.
Very early in the morning, six large trucks arrived in turn to unload their cargo, while the excavator crossed the river, being too heavy for the bridge over the river.
Here is an arrangement with three rocks ending a group of old pines and placed under a very long branch on a side (very long branch that we have since worked – only one whole day for it !) …
Another arrangement of five this time …
Another arrangement of five placed under large eucalyptus and very quickly adopted by locals, the Kookaburra…
… among many others. With to finish a centerpiece located on one side, in front of the entrance of the house !
I had the great pleasure of working with Chris, a talented man, skillful and really attentive, playing with the shovel of the excavator as if he was handling a small spoon, to the millimeter. It was a very nice cooperation !
For now, we can still see the fence of the old paddock, but there, in the golden light of the setting sun and the fall colors of an Indian summer, are they not just beautiful?
A big THANK YOU to Life and Aly for this fabulous experience !
The “Sublime SUKIYA” Academy teaches Japanese pruning in Australia…
As expected, I was fortunate enough to stay in South East Australia, the state of Victoria, where I was asked to teach Japanese pruning for almost three weeks.
After 24 hours of flight with a quick stop in Hong Kong, recognizable by its huge buildings bathed in a thick “fog”, and the infinite pleasure of seeing from above the sun rise at the other end of the world, I finally arrived to take my quarters. And in Australia, everything is often disproportionate … my room is over 35m² !!! With a sublime view, especially in the evening ! I let you enjoy…
This magnificent estate is located on a unique plot of 80 hectares in the heart of the Howqua Valley, crossed by a river … It was a treat, a total immersion in nature, its fauna, flora and the Australian mountains !
This property already has a nursery of more than 2.000 western trees, which Australians easily plant around their house to protect it from fire, separating it from the great eucalyptus trees that burn too easily, in a country of the driest. A niwaki nursery being born …
The pleasure of being able to work on big Thunbergii pines and Chinensis “Kazuka” junipers, almost impossible to find in France !
As well as very beautiful Japanese maples …
A big THANK YOU to Life and Aly for this amazing experience, to Peter, Jan and Brett for their kindness, their welcome – the Australians are really top “friendly” ! And see you soon in our latitudes!
Creation, maintenance and tips for my Japanese garden/Techniques of niwaki/Traditions and culture of Japan/Testimony of gardeners
Contemporary Japanese garden at “Shizen no sei” garden
A new space of creation almost completely blank is ready in the Shizen no sei Garden. Given the environment, we opted for a contemporary Japanese garden, a stylized and refined reflection of nature.
We start by just bringing a little touch of tradition with the creation and implementation of a shitajimado下地窓 – a little nod to the ancient techniques of Japanese construction.
Then, with a blend of the most natural rocks of granite and plants – it is obviously here that the difficulty lies and that expresses all the talent of the gardener – it is about evoking the true essence of nature…
New video – Kasui-en
A new video is now on the e-learning Platform of JAPANESE GARDEN INSTITUTE, the Kasui-en garden, the excellence in Sukiya style and contemporary Japanese garden with “100% natural” spirit. A small secret space to visit absolutely … Enjoy it !
To watch it, rendez-vous at this adress :
https://niwaki-et-niwashi.com/en/online-courses/247-videos-secret-gardens-of-japan.html
Looking forward to having you among the community of the “Sublime SUKIYA” Academy (prev. NIWAKI Inspiration ZEN) … !
New video – Ruriko-in
A new video is now on the e-learning Platform of JAPANESE GARDEN INSTITUTE, the Ruriko-in garden, a little gem nest in a maples forest. A secret garden almost impossible to visit, only open few weeks per year. Enjoy it !
To watch it, rendez-vous at this adress :
https://niwaki-et-niwashi.com/en/online-courses/247-videos-secret-gardens-of-japan.html
Looking forward to having you among the community of the “Sublime SUKIYA” Academy (prev. NIWAKI Inspiration ZEN) … !
Creation, maintenance and tips for my Japanese garden/Traditions and culture of Japan/Testimony of gardeners
An article in the american magazine SUKIYA LIVING
I would like to thank “SUKIYA LIVING” Magazine and its owner Douglas Mc ROTH for asking me to write an article in the last issue, alongside major players in the Japanese garden across the Atlantic, American or Japanese origin.
It was with great pleasure and lot of humility that I made my contribution by expressing what seemed to me the most accurate through my experience with my students in studying the Japanese garden for over a decade.
I also take this opportunity to thank my successive Japanese masters whose presence has distilled me over time the importance of a subtle approach to all this beauty, that I am able today, managed to letting go and to the expression of my own style, to transcribe in my creations.
Creation, maintenance and tips for my Japanese garden/Techniques of niwaki/Traditions and culture of Japan/Testimony of gardeners
Training Center in North America 2018 – Niwaki and Japanese gardens
Following the success of last year, I give you an appointment again in next September in the Training Center of North America, in Canada. It will be located more precisely at Mont St Gregoire, on the outskirts of Montreal, Quebec.
This second training session will offer you four different courses, with three places per course :
– Japanese pruning basics, from 2018, 12 to 14th September,
– Advanced course – pines pruning and creation of sinuous trunks, the 15 & 16th,
– Advanced course – deciduous pruning in transparency, the 19 & 20th,
– Basics of Japanese gardens creating “setting stones”, the 21 & 22th.
In order for these courses to be planed and calculated with participation in my travel expenses that is affordable for all, it is necessary that there be at least 8 participations in total (some people can follow several courses in succession if they desire).
All details of organization are communicated to you on simple request. If you desire to have more information about the courses, you can already see on this page of my website, that describing these which take place in France, on the site of “Sublime SUKIYA” Academy. About prices, you will find them here. You can also contact me by e-mail or by phone. However, I need to know quickly if you want to participate, so the deadline registration is the next February 28 th. In the event that the minimum number of 8 people is not reached by this date, the 2018 session will be postponed to next year.
If you want to get a glimpse of what happened last year, you can find out about on this page. Looking forward to meeting you soon !