The October Meeting 2002

(From Impressions by Jim Hofmann plus some distortions by the Editor)

It was a very Japanese evening with Margaret deWeese’s account of her visit to Japan in Spring 2000, and Robin Hopper’s inimitable AngloJapaNadian mingling of cultures.

Jim writes of Margaret’s talk saying, “ Emphasis was on the Place as a particular eco-graphic and cultural environment in which to grow plants of the Genus Rhododendron, predominantly the evergreen Azaleas. Standouts for me were the sights of common Japanese forest habitat… coniferous Cryptomeria japonica dominating the landscape with its Acer palmatum understory on a sloping site; a wonderful slope planted with Satsuki azaleas (R.indicum) in full bloom 60 days after spring equinox in the Japanese tradition; various views of plants with their accompaniment of sculpture, stone and other companions, including mosses. I got a taste of Japanese garden style, with structures and buildings and the plants in various ‘roles’… as in ‘landscape role’, ‘bonsai’, etc…. Displays were shown to be tradition bound, under the disciplinary rule of ikebana, a study said to be undertaken by 20 million Japanese students. Bringing us down to earth were slides showing pesticide spraying to preserve the investment in azalea growing [and not to deter tourists], and another, showing two gallon pots of azaleas for sale at $36 each.” [Oh dear].

[Margaret provided many interesting vignettes: - the tiniest R. serpyllifolium with leaves the size of rice grains; Dr. Wilson’s circa 1918 quotation “the entrancing beauty of myriad delicate coloured flowers clothing a multitude of shapely grown plants surpassed my most sanguine expectations” (such a delicious example of post-Victorian orotundity.), – and many more.]

Jim recalls “the emphasis on ‘structures’ in Robin Hopper’s garden scenes, much of it suggesting Japanese influence, but with enough tradition breaking to keep what Robin refers to as ‘sense of humour’ in the garden. An example of this is the ‘Koi Pond’, a simulated stream bed where ceramic Koi are cemented into the bottom concrete. The bridge spanning this creation is, of course, known as the ‘Bridge over the River Koi’. The inner garden surrounded by an unusual wall and with a covered pathway, mainly in the Japanese style, housed many Asian plants requiring greater summer watering…. A great showing of Japanese Maples of various dimension, foliage colour, and texture providing a canopy for the underplanting…. In contrast, the outer garden is ‘lower maintenance’, even to the point of xeriscaping. But still, certain plants achieved surprising size, e.g. a Kerria Japonica estimated at 20 feet across. (Robin Hopper confessed to dislike pruning). In all, we saw a rich variety of woodland, wetland and sun-grown plants through the seasons, including some wonderful scenes of snow-drapery”. Truly, a year-round garden.

[Robin provided tempting views of a unique garden, combining sculptural materials with a rich variety of plantings amid imaginative structures. This temptation begs for yielding thereto; indeed its continued development may make it one of several special places in Victoria’s gardening array.]