Working Away, But It Takes Time

Applying many coats of paint, and then waiting for the crackle finish to get really dry, does take time. In the time in between working on the door and window components for the FAME club project, I've made a few more potted plant leaves, and begun the hydrangeas for the Japanese vignette. That one is now in the throes of landscaping; first you paint all the lawn areas green; check, and done. 

On reading my book on Japanese gardens, there are a lot of rules to follow. Everything down to the tiniest detail seems to be laid down by master gardeners, and the plans have been in use, virtually unchanged, for centuries. I really, really love the Korean bamboo fences in the book, but couldn't figure out where I'd get stuff thin enough to bend, that looks like bamboo. Well, the light-bulb lit up. and I am going to try corn broom straws; they are the right colour, and I think that if I soak them and bend them around a jar or can, I can make nice rounded bundle fences.

There should be a small fence near the front door; the water feature, in my case a hollow "stone" with a dipper, needs to be next to that fence. There needs to be a shoe-removing stone in front of the step to the house. There are several interesting types of walkways that I can build. The lantern also has a specific place in the garden. Alongside the front gate, there will be fences, perhaps on "stone" bases, with bamboo tops. These should allow a glimpse into the garden and its flowers and plants.

And of course, lots of photos to study in the meantime, too. Surfing the internet is a good way to pass the time while waiting for paint to dry....