Opinions wanted for Meditation Walk

I'd add Black Bamboo, Umbrella Pines and Japanese red tinged ferns. While at it some Hellebores, Sweet Woodruff, Japanese hollies too. Some water sculpture with fish would add movement. I'd add some large rocks for stillness. Wind chimes.

Books

A Japanese touch for your garden.

ISBN 0-87011-391-7

The Art of Setting Stones

ISBN 1-880656-70-1

Space & Illusion In the Japanese Garden

ISBN 0-8348-1522-2

DVD

Shaolin Soccer with Stephen Chow

Music

Stone Garden 6:17 Quiet Fire Zen Moods for the Spa Experience

Water Garden 7:51 Jalan-Jalan Bali

Chinese Bamboo Flute - Japanese- Daha (higuchi Taizan) 4:40 Wood Flute Meditative

Ambiance

Have a party with friends and family to start the work.

Have fun and think of it as a life long endeavor !

Bill

Idleness and contemplation in all stages, beginning with the planning......spend idle time in the area before you ever start and let your mind do it's thing...as Bill says, let it develop and grow as you to develop and grow. Contemplation, not completion is the goal.....

Charlie

Wow. You've given me a lot to think about. The total space is about 40' long, 25' wide, so there's plenty of room there. I had thought it was a bit more sparse than it needed to be.

Along the post-and-rail fence are some beautiful ferns (and other touches I can't identify), and that's the only area with what I would call full growth.

You've convinced me that I can do far more with this walk than I originally planned. I guess I was thinking of a mountain path, more than a pure garden. I like your suggestions. And, yes, I've got nothing but time. We plan on being here for another, oh, 25 to 30 years (god willing).

I think I'll pass on the water features, though. We have a Lab mix, and she'd be in there constantly, pawing at the fishes.

Thanks for the references. That rock garden may become more than I anticipated.

dwight

That's kind of why I refer to it as a Meditation Walk. I've been meditating on it for three years. Simply by relocating the path, I've opened up all sorts of possibilities.

But you're right. The rhododendrons are a must. I'll start there, then sit, look, and think some more before I decide on the next step. I'm trying to picture what it will be ten years from now.

But, come next Spring, I'd still like to see colors other than green and brown.

:()

You will. :-) Contemplating the area at different times of the day can really be helpful......very early morning and dusk, the in-between times, are often revealing. Soft light and shadows.....

Sometimes appropriate music and appropriate, according to your taste, brain lube are helpful in clearing away the haze from your vision....

Try and visualize the seasonal aspects........this will look great in July, but what about dead of winter, which has it's own beauty and requires elements that fit.....

You are going to have fun, and it sounds as though you are starting well. Keep us updated, both here and on your webpages.

Nice! I love going places such as this and cutting and pasting images into my imagination, taking away feelings and such.

Let the sweat begin! :-)

Care Charlie