Move Over Monty Don

I love Gardener’s World. It’s my Friday night relaxing time. I’m finished teaching small people to makes noise and I can sit quietly with a cup of hot water and be inspired. Every week I want to rush out and buy plants or deadhead my rose bushes or turn the compost heap. The inspiration has usually faded by the morning and all those jobs feel a bit like a chore again.

The Long Suffering Husband’s relationship to the garden is a little different. He’s not interested in growing things. For him, it’s a place to sit in the hammock with a glass of wine and watch ‘A Good Year’ for the millionth time. He also makes the grass his responsibility and wages a personal war on the moss.

On our first day in Kyoto we were sore and tired. We’ve walked 11 miles a day and climbed enough steps to get us to heaven since we got to Japan. “Let’s take it easy today,” the LSH suggested. It was a good plan. We were going to stay on the flat and explore our local area. It didn’t quite happen like that, even though it was pouring with rain (we never go anywhere without full waterproof) as we still walked 10 miles and racked up 30 flights of stairs.

We stumbled upon a small shrine dedicated to a goddess of music. I made a request to help all the people I teach make beautiful noises and had my book stamped.

Then we found the gardens outside the Imperial Palace. The Sakura is just beginning to fade and fall off the trees but they were still beautiful. Whatever the guide books say, we think the Imperial Palace is worth a visit (it’s free too). The gardens inside are stunning.
“I love those,” I said pointing at the rain chains hanging from the gutters, “Maybe we could find a space in our garden for one.”

 

The LSH had already thought of that. We are planning to redesign the garden to include a workshop where he can use my Dad’s tools to keep him busy now that he’s a YAP (Young Aged Pensioner).
“I could hang it from my shed,” he said,  “and if we can’t get one I can make it from tiny terracotta pots.”
As we walked around we continued to be inspired. It was amazing what was done in relatively small areas. Water features, gravel, tiny trees all gave me the Gardener’s World feeling.

 Then we went to the GinkaKuji Temple, also known as the silver pavilion. It’s not actually silver but is considered second rate compared to the golden one, which is actually gold (We haven’t been there yet so I can’t compare them). This temple is beautiful, mainly because of its garden. Even I felt at peace there and peace isn’t something I’ve felt for a while. Instead of grass there was moss. Little  fluffy hillocks in rich and various shades of green.  The LSH couldn’t believe what her was seeing.
“It’s all moss!” he kept saying.

I suggested we try it in our garden. He was horrified. “Embrace the moss,” I have whispered quietly in his ear every hour or so since.

 We were going to see the garden at Heian-Jingu shrine but when we got there we were shattered. The rain was beginning to drip down my neck and even my excellent waterproofs were in danger of leaking.  I’m so glad we saved it until today. In the sunshine, it was the most inspiring garden I have ever visited.

Japan is my new Monty Don. There is inspiration everywhere. Small pots to tiny plots to temples and palaces, everywhere is a gardener’s delight.