Miscellaneous plants

Fern and Bamboo are indispensable in many Japanese gardens. We have some of those in Tsubo-en.
Just to be complete we list the plants that not fit any of the other categories.

Wisteria sinensis

Although Wisteria sinensis (Fuji) is a woody, deciduous, perennial climbing vine, in these pages we have placed it under Deciduous trees.
Although not at all a tree as such, it gets trained to stand solitary as a tree. As it stands next to Mt.Sumeru on the tsukiyama it can also be seen in that chapter.

"The wisteria maiden", Fuji Musume', is an otsu-e (Japanese Folk Painting) subject thought to have been inspired by popular dances.
Paintings such as this were often sold as good-luck charms for marriages.
Fuji Musume', is also a famous classical dance out of the Kabuki theater in Japan.
If you are interested, see: Fuji Musumè, the Wisteria Maiden.

Fern

In Tsubo-en we have three species of fern. These can be found in the main garden and in the front garden compartment. These are purely used for the sabi wabi aesthetics.
2318 This fern next to the front garden chozubachi is a Asplenum trichomanes, Maidenhair Spleenwort (Dutch: Steenbreekvaren). It is a very easy and satisfying fern.
It is evergreen and needs no looking after worth mentioning other then keeping out the groundcover.
In the main garden we have this beautiful fern growing in a corner of the veranda.

This Dryopteris atrata has a half-shadow spot in that it stands North of and close to the house.

It grows just left our child Buddha (see Bamboo below) and serves as foreground for viewing the garden from the veranda. 		2323
2320 Placed close to the main garden Tsukubai, we have an other Asplenum trichomanes, Maidenhair Spleenwort (top-left) and the only Asplenium scolopendrium, Hart's-tongue Fern (Dutch: Tongvaren) (foreground).


Bamboo

In Tsubo-en we have few species of bamboo. These can be found in the main garden and in the water front compartment.

2054 Behind the Dryopteris fern and the child Buddha, or better Jizo bodhisattva, we have a "Bamboo bush" of
Sasaella masamuneana. This is a large-leaved, low growing bamboo that we keep in the shape of a small bush.

In the bottom-left the Dryopteris atrata fern.
The bamboo Pleioblastus pygmaeus is part of the main garden Tsukubai and stands next to/behind the chozubachi.
It is a small-leaved, low growing bamboo that shows well as part of the tsukubai composition.

In front and to the right the two above mentioned ferns. 		2132
1875 Although the bamboo used at the water front looks great its use is very much driven by pragmatic reasons.
We did not like the reed (cane) that was growing there and is uncontrollable.

Photo taken looking down from the wall behind the house.

On the horizontal area behind the house we planted both the bamboo specimen we had in the upper garden already.
Reason for planting both the species is that if one dies (following the natural cycle) we still have the other to protect our waterside bank. 		1881

Hedgerows

Unfortunately we have had little success and luck with our hedgerows or Ikegaki (lit, ike=live, kaki=fence). We have one on the left and one on the right of or lot and both need/needed to be replaced.

1461
Photo taken from the backside of the main tsukiyama. This shows the utilitarian pathway that runs behind the main Tsukiyama.

Unfortunately the hedgerow (on the left) of Taxus baccata that forms the backdrop of the main garden tsukiyama does not perform well.

This has our continued attention as we are looking for a solution that will be acceptable for all parties involved. This needs to be done in close corporation with the neighbours.
To the right on this photo, the hedgerow in the left side compartment.
Some fifty percent of the original Ilex (Dutch: Hulst), planted some eight years ago have died in 2007/2008.

The hedgerow was replaced in July 2008, by some hundred Thuja occidentalis "Braband".

This new hedgerow of Thuja occidentalis will be clipped to form a straight wall-like hedge. 		1884

Hedgerows examples

Some examples of hedges and hedgerows are included in the examples on the subject "enclosures".
See: Enclosures examples.

Other


1528 Iris "White Knight" (Dutch: Hoge bardiris). Abundantly growing on the waterside bank.



We also have a Hosta Sieboldiana. It is a potted version that stands on the waterside bank. Photo to follow.
Not at all native to the Japanese garden as such we have a vine growing to screen-off our small out-door tool-shed.
Vitis "vroege van der Laan". Every autumn the grapes are a nice treat for blackbirds and starlings. 		1241

Miscellaneous Plants examples

We do not have authentic subject examples dedicated to and specific of this subject.
Nonetheless examples are available in a number of other "examples" sections. Most relevant: For the complete "visual" examples see the applicable framed-list in: Visual Table of Contents.

Lessons learned and what did not work well

Here we document what went wrong with regard to the shrubs that we used or wanted to use.

  1. The hedgerow of Ilex (Dutch: hulst) in the left-garden has died for some fifty percent in 2007/2008
    After not having done very well in the previous eight years. Conclusion: planted too deep !
    The Ilex never did well and even when they did, the fallen leaves where a nightmare.


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