My garden odyssey: Evolution of an idea

Episode XXIX

HE SAID: From the moment Eastern thought began to intrude on our garden plans, I knew there had to be a tea house. It took me nearly ten years to figure out exactly what that meant.

In the earliest plans, tediously drawn on the computer with Adobe Illustrator, the tea house was a gray square in the back west part of the garden. In my mind, and in early sketches, I conceived a modest rustic structure: part tool shed and part covered bench. And, although the structure itself evolved through many different versions, the location never changed.

I picked the location for several reasons. It was at a distance from the house, providing a destination; and it was hidden behind the spruce trees, adding some mystery. I also wanted it near the waterfall to take advantage of the sound. And, most important, I wanted it located where it would provide a view down onto the pond.

I read dozens of books on Japanese tea gardens, noting that the ideal of a tea house changed over time, from the early concept of a primitive thatched-roof hut, to works of exquisite craftsmanship, to strange contemporary conceptual versions. What era, I asked myself, did I want to adopt?

I also became distracted, for a time, by the extensive literature available on the topic of cabins. After all, wasn't the original tea house just a Japanese cabin in the woods? Michael Pollan's "A Place of My Own" made a particularly strong impression on me. My concept of a tea house began to morph into the idea of a studio — a male retreat. In the end I came to my senses. After all, Pollan had hired an architect and spent $30,000 or more by my estimate on his "writing shack." 

And my space was limited, not just in terms of the size of the yard but also in terms of scale. I didn't want a building that overwhelmed the other elements of the garden: stream, pond, rocks, paths and plants. Essentially, it needed to be as small as possible and still be functional as a modest space for entertaining one or two other people or just a place for solitude and contemplation.

Tea House at the Minneapolis Institute of Art

I considered using the basic Japanese unit of the tatami mat — the roughly three foot by six foot flooring element that traditional Japanese architecture is based on. It corresponds to the Western module, the four by eight foot sheet of plywood. The tatami idea didn't work. Standard Western lumber sizes, which I would have to work with, meant I'd have to come up with my own proportions.

To get a sense of what the interior space might feel like we made floor plans on the living room rug with masking tape and sat on the floor inside the lines, pretending to drink tea. To get a sense of the impact the tea house would have on the garden, I made a frame to indicate the size and elevation of the floor and added a 2X4 to suggest it's height. The rest I imagined from various positions in the yard. I made more drawings, studied Japanese and Western wood joinery, and went back over books I had already studied any number of times. We visited tea houses whenever we could, both in gardens and museums. 

Incrementally I began to eliminate options as too expensive, too demanding on my limited skills, or inconsistent with the aesthetic choices we had already made in the garden. It was hard leaving some options behind. 

Japanese Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden

I decided against trying to use traditional wood joinery (no metal!) and opted instead for simple joints fastened with bolts. I chose cedar 4x4s for my framing material and cedar shingles for the roof to echo the fence. And after considering several options, I settled on tumbled cement paving stones for the foundation. To infill the walls between the framing, I would use stucco in place of the traditional straw and mud.

It was, finally, time to commit, time to break ground. That was August 1, 2005.

Comments

[Pam/Digging (Austin)]

I'm ready to see it take shape, Mark.

[Lisa at Greeenbow]

I can't wait to see how it has evolved.

[Gail]

This is an exciting journey...can't wait to see the next installment~gail

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

Good morning Pam, Lisa and Gail! It's hot and humid here and making me think of you Southern gals. I am going to sit in the shade and weed the moss. The tea house is an exciting journey but rather a long one — even for us!

[Philippines property]

This is amazing, can't wait to see how it is evolved.

Deirdre G

[Jamie Keifer]

Indeed, it sounds like a wonderful idea for your garden. It sounds like the perfect place to just sit around and feel relaxed while enjoying the sights of the garden. Really, I can't wait to see the evolution of your concept into a reality.

[Elizaveta Kramer]

It's so amazing that how a simple concept that started from an idea was brought to life right before your very eyes. Taking inspiration from a Japanese garden is a nice way to start your own garden. I'd love to see how your garden looks like now. :)