Skip to main content

Featured

Rose Pruning Again

Late February to early March is the time for the major pruning of roses. Back in December, I did a preliminary pruning , now is the time for the last major pruning before the spring season begins.  First, a comment on hybrid tea roses. This is what most people have in their gardens. I only have a few hybrid tea roses. These are the roses that need the most drastic pruning. Basically, you cut all the canes down to about 1 foot, making the cuts right above an outward-facing bud. The result will be something like this -  Most of my roses fall into the shrub and climbing categories. These roses are pruned differently and not as severe as the hybrid teas. For shrub roses (and many of the David Austin English roses fall into this category), I first take out the older canes completely to the ground. The older canes are easy to spot - they will be thicker and darker in color. After thinning out the older canes, I remove any canes that are damaged, crossing one another and canes that ...
4 comments
Read more

Okochi Sanso Villa & Gardens



One of my favorite gardens on the tour was the Okochi Garden that was created by Japanese actor Denjiri Okochi. Located in the northwest hills above Kyoto, it was a picture of tranquility.

First, we walked through a Bamboo Forest to get there -


A pathway led from the forest path up the hill to a garden entrance -



The main house -


A menagerie of pathways encircle the house and winds around the perimeter of the house. 




At one spot, an open pavilion called the "Moonlight Pavillion" provides a fantastic view of the city of Kyoto.






The creator of this paradise, Denjiro Okochi (1898-1962) studied literature and dabbled in writing before he began an acting career in 1920's silent cinema. He specialized in period dramas and jidaigeki (samurai). One of his best-loved characters was Tange Sazen, a fictional swordsman with one arm, one leg and one eye. He played the role in numerous films.



He spent thirty years creating his garden and he died there of stomach cancer in 1962 at the age of 64.




Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
Email Post

Comments

  1. Kris PetersonDecember 4, 2024 at 9:57 AM

    Beautiful and dramatic!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousDecember 4, 2024 at 4:24 PM

    What a breathtaking garden! Your photographs are stunning. Thank you for sharing this slice from your trip.

    ReplyDelete
  3. tz_gardenDecember 5, 2024 at 9:06 AM

    Such a peaceful place, and stunningly beautiful! It really looks like you lucked out on good weather for your trip.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts