The koi fish, always seeking something to eat, continually greet adults and children (Anderson Japanese Gardens).
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POND Trade Magazine
was likely started by farmers who accumulated observations made over time. Observations were made, for example, where a certain plant bloomed, when certain birds arrived, when the rice was to be planted, when fruits were to be harvested, when a specific butterfly emerged from its cocoon and so forth. In their present form, they offer a poetic journey through the Japanese year, where land awakens and blooms with life and activity before returning to slumber. As water shapers, we study the ways of water and ponds. This is vital to understanding how water works to resonate with the garden viewer. It took the Japanese garden builders 1,000 years of trial and error, a skill honed through acute observations made in the wilderness — not in a classroom or book. It must be experienced firsthand to see and understand the ways of water. It is important to remember that the language of the garden is nature. We struggle and strive over a lifetime to master the skills of pond building, to grasp the essence of nature’s lessons and
apply those understandings in creating magnificent waterscapes. As the saying goes, and as we water shapers need to remember, “Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the Masters. Seek what they sought.” a
About the Author For more than 50 years, Jerome Skuba of Zoen SekkeiSha & Associates has been on an exploratory path, working as an ornamental horticulturist, art school professor, industrial designer, builder and garden designer. Jerome's gardens have been featured in Architectural Digest magazine, and he is a contributor to articles in Sukiya Living: The Journal of Japanese Gardening.
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