Candling: The Art of Japanese Pine Pruning

You may notice at this time of year pine trees are covered with prominent upright buds at the branch tips. These are called candles, and they are the spring growth of the tree.

In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, Spring, Plants and BloomsRumi TsuchihashiMay 6, 2016Candling, Pine Candling, Japanese Pine, Pruning, Seattle, Japanese Garden, Spring, tree

In Bloom: Western Wake Robin, a Spring Ephemeral

The charming Western Wake Robin is a Pacific Northwest native that quietly blooms in Seattle Japanese Garden from late-March to early April.

In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, Spring, Plants and BloomsRumi TsuchihashiApril 4, 2016bloom, Seattle, Japanese Garden, Western Rake Robin, Spring, Trillium, Ants

In Bloom: Camellia japonica

For our hardworking gardeners who toil away in the winter months, the arrival of bright red Camellia japonica blooms signals the countdown to the garden's March opening to the public.

In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, Spring, Plants and BloomsRumi TsuchihashiFebruary 12, 2016bloom, Camellia, Seattle, Japanese Garden, varigated camellia, varigated, Western Red Cedar, Daikagura, dance

Pieris japonica, an Underappreciated Beauty

Pieris japonica, commonly known as Lily of the Valley shrub, is a native of Japan and adds subtle beauty to the early spring garden.

In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, Spring, Plants and BloomsRumi TsuchihashiJanuary 13, 2016Pieris japonica, Lily of the Valley, Spring, Seattle, Japanese Garden, Winter, Fall, bloom, Shrub, varigated, Japan, Poisonous, Deer resistant

Gardener's Corner: Rhododendron or Azalea?

There’s a lot of complexity and confusion in the answer. Rhododendrons and azaleas are now members of the same genus (Rhododendron), but this wasn’t always the case.

In the Garden, Japanese Culture, Japanese Garden Design, Spring, Plants and BloomsRumi TsuchihashiJune 5, 2015Azalea, bloom, botanical, gardening, Japan, Japanese, Japanese Garden, Juki Iida, June, May, Rhododendron, Spring

Kousa Dogwood: an Early Summer Delight

In the Seattle Japanese Garden, this beautiful small tree, Cornus kousa var. chinensis, is locatednear the path on the pond’s east side. It’s a form of the more well-known Kousa Dogwood...

In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, Spring, Volunteers, Plants and BloomsRumi TsuchihashiJune 5, 2015chinensis, Chinese, Dogwood, Japanese, Japanese Garden, June, Kousa, Spring, tree, volunteers, white

Gardener's Corner: Pine Candling

Pine candles are selectively removed to create the pine's distinctive form.

In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, Spring, Plants and BloomsRumi TsuchihashiApril 30, 2015Pine, Candling, Pruning, Spring, gardening, Japanese Garden, Pine Candling

Rhododendron ‘Quakeress': A Striking Bi-Colored Beauty

Rhododendron ‘Quakeress’ is one of the lovely bi-colored Azaleas in Seattle’s Japanese Garden. Its flowers consist of two contrasting colors (pink and white) with striking -- and varied -- patterning.

In the Garden, Spring, Plants and BloomsRumi TsuchihashiApril 29, 2015Rhododendron, Quakeress, Spring, Azalea, Japanese Garden, Japan, Satsuki, Sokojiro, Tsumabeni, Hakeme shibori, Harusame shibori, Fukiage shibori, varigated, bloom

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