SEAFORTH
Unique challenge of a garden built on a cliff face
Perched on a cliff side overlooking Middle Harbour, the aim of the garden was to create a tall yet pleasing waterfall and koi pond using the sandstone rocks of the cliff on site.
Access was down 120 rickety timber stairs and being south facing was rarely in full-summer sun.
It was not possible to crane any moving equipment onto the site. All rock work was done manually. Fortunately, a number of large trees were growing there. With a combination of chains, wire rope, pullies and chain blocks our team were able to move rocks of over half a tonne across and up and down the cliff to create the waterfall and planting areas.
Due to the wet and shaded conditions Podocarpus, Azaleas, Buxus, Cycads, ferns, mondo grass and clumping bamboos were extensively used. The moss on the rocks thrived adjacent to the waterfalls.
BALMORAL
Modern Architecture Meets Japanese Geometry
in Garden Design
This extraordinary house required a precise response.
It was a garden challenge to combine space and form using the language of gardens in such a way as to reflect and complement the geometric design of this exceptional residence on the cliffs above Sydney Harbour.
A large serpentine triangular rock and Japanese black pine extends and enhances the pyramid shaped roof of the writing studio that juts out into the large entrance courtyard.
Because the client loved pruning, only precisely shaped trees and shrubs were used to create a dry riverbed, rolling hills and miniature forests to balance rugged rocky outcrops.
In accordance with Japanese garden design and sumi-e principles the dynamically shaped rocks and trees occupied only 30% of the space created by the strict yet sweeping architecture, thereby creating a creative living space for the residents and visitors.
NEWPORT
New Horizons for Japanese Garden
Principles and Practice
This garden won the Sydney Open Garden Competition many years in a row. When asked ‘Why’, the reply was that as it was located high on the cliffs above Newport facing east to the Pacific Ocean, it was one of the harshest environments for any garden to survive, let alone thrive. It also contains 5 microclimates that excel in completely different ways.
The guiding purpose was to build a number of gardens, using only native Australian plants in accordance with Japanese design principles.
By applying the principle of Shakkie or “borrowed scenery”, this otherwise predictable rectangular water feature comes to life by using the pattern of the waves breaking on the distant beach to guide the curves of the new stream and choosing and placing rocks that reflect the outcrops and headlands below. This gives the garden a sense of belonging and includes it in the greater environment.
Shielded from the fierce ocean winds this lower garden wanders across the property hiding large water tanks. Comprised of river stones and boulders from the local area, it has a relaxed and pleasant feeling in the dappled light of native trees.
When we visited this garden in 2012 for the lAOJG, I observed Kauzo Mitsuhashi drawing a landscape scene of the view.
I asked him “Kare san sui?” He said “No, but best dry riverbed I have ever seen!”
When I was asked to prune this Syzigium Tiny Trev, it had doubled its expected size and was blocking the front entrance. What was intended to be 2 rounded shrubs of 1 meter height, had grown to 2.5 height by 3 meters width. Hard reduction pruning did not seem to be in the best interest of the tree as it had interesting and well-established trunks and branching structures. It reminded me of some Camellias, that when pruned sympathetically, reveal through the balance of trunk, branches, space and foliage, a deeper beauty than expected. Not knowing how the small tree would respond I spent one and a half days pruning, assessing and asking, “What is this tree asking for?”
I have learnt not to judge the beauty or worth of the tree while you are pruning it as there may be a unique result never seen before.
The tree thrived and I have subsequently taught 3 gardeners this new approach to pruning this variety, who now look after the garden.
BALGOWLAH
Boat Shed Roof Top
With uninterrupted views over Middle Harbour, the boat shed roof top posed a unique challenge. Only 10% of the sloping roof area could support a loading of 300 kg per square meter, the remaining roof could only carry 20kg per square meter. How does one create a garden true to the Japanese aesthetic with such limitations?
The solution was to plant a garden comprising Japanese black pine, Buxus, Azaleas and ground covers in the weight-supported first 2 meters, with all the remaining elements sculpted in polystyrene and coloured with acrylic cement.
In an industrial area of Sydney, we worked with a sculptor to shape the rocks, water bowl, pond, pathways and stepping stones to precise specifications, which were then coloured and textured to a natural finish.
The roof can only be accessed by a ladder, so it is purely a viewing garden. The strong foreground, extended pathway and dry riverbed leads the eye to instantly connect to the adjacent water view, thereby extending the scale of the garden and inviting the distant view in.
The MASUNO GARDEN, SYDNEY
Designed by Zen priest Masuno and JLC in Japan. Installed by Imperial Gardens Landscape Pty Ltd, in Sydney, with the feature rocks, granite and Shirakawa gravel imported from Japan. This dynamic courtyard was installed by crane over 4 days with supervision via Zoom from Masuno in Yokohama, collaborating with Touko-san in Sydney. It has unusual viewing positions from above, below or from gravel level looking across and up.
Masuno said “The meaning of the garden is Zimon Tei – the garden of asking oneself.”
Ken Lamb is the owner of Hidden Orient Nursery and is the Managing Director of Imperial Gardens Landscape Pty Ltd, a landscape design and construction company based in Sydney, Australia. He consults on renovation of public and private Japanese and Chinese gardens. Ken teaches Japanese pruning techniques and runs sumi-e painting workshops based on his 50 years of painting and his handbook Zen and the Way of the Brush. He was honoured to receive a lifetime achievement award at the NAJGA conference in San Diego in 2021.