Where do paths go? There were no paths. That is to say there was a paved way around the house itself and two sets of of steps from the house down to the grass. To move about the garden we walked on grass avoiding the planted beds. Having proper paths is more than having something firmer underfoot. Paths guide progress around the garden. They inform you where you should go. Places where there is a choice of travel or change of direction allow for pauses. A river of paving material draws the eye in particular directions. Paths create views in the garden.
In Japanese gardening there is a style called Kaiyu-shiki-teien or strolling garden By following the path the visitor is presented with a series of scenes which are specifically intended to be viewed at key points around the path. Frequently Japanese Strolling Gardens will feature the style or technique of "borrowed scenery", shakkei, which uses elements outside of the garden such as temples or mountains to create the illusion that the garden is much larger than it actually is. Japanese Strolling Gardens also use the style or technique of miegakure, or "hide-and-reveal", which uses the angle or direction of the path, buildings, thick foliage or fences to hide a particular key scene until the visitor is at the ideal viewing point. We have so much scenery to borrow - the Strait and the mountains - however the location of Bron Ceris, surrounded by neighbours and their trees we have no borrowed scenery. It is possible to think of some elements of hide a reveal, and positioning key features - seating areas, buildings and so on as to be part of hiding and revealing. This will be the focus of an experiment in the placing of plants and the directions of paths.
We built a serpentine wall where the level changed.
The second Japanese concept that informs the layout of paths is idea of Roji - the “dewey ground” a visitor passes through on the way to the tea ceremony. A roji garden is often enclosed- taking away the external view. It also limits its panting so that - with the exception of blossom (Uma) in the Spring, and Acer is the Autumn colour is provided by foliage and moss. There are some other traditional elements, a toro - a stone lantern; ttsubaki - a basin to wash your hands and a machaia - a waiting room. A splendid view was provided in a famous Roji garden Myōki-an the sleeve brushing pine, so called for its diminutive size and intimacy. Only by humbling oneself - bending to use the tsubaki - was a view of the inland sea revealed. More scope for experiment. However the Roji in Bron Ceris is less likely to make minimal use of colour. I have a greater choice of plants to mimic the Japanese mountainside than was available to Sen no Rikyū . I am going to experiment with the rules of rustic simplicity, directness of approach and honesty to self; I will use a broader plant pallet than the Japanese tradition- because I can. However, following the essence, I want to create a garden where there were journeys.
So to start I destroyed the lawn. I also destroyed the lawn because clearly it was also best location in the garden for choice “full sun” plants. After failed negotiations with my neighbours and the local government tree planner I became happily resigned to having a substantial part of the garden as a shade/sub woodland garden. I am fortunate to have the world’s best nurseries for shade gardens 10Km away. The terrace right outside the house is classically South facing - so that is a good place for showy exotics.
The next task has been linking and delineating these areas with paths and paving.